Strinesdale, Oldham.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

RE: Strinesdale, Oldham.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

13.40 - 14.50. Pleasant but chilly

Bottom Res:
Mallard 16
Canada Goose 2
Moorhen 2
Black-headed Gull 4
Domestic White Duck 4

Top Res:
Mallard 40
Goosander 18 (by far the highest total I know of for here and a fine sight in the afternoon sun - even split of adult males & red-heads. It should be interesting if they stay long enough to start pairing up)
Black-headed Gull 12 (with a few more over)
Grey Heron 1
Moorhen 1
The water level was quite low and this, combined with the number of large water birds, may account for the absence of Little Grebes. They often headed up the inflow streams in the marsh when there were larger numbers of gulls here.

Very quiet, except for a noisy flock of Goldfinch in the trees between Holgate Street and Waterworks Road.
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Wren 2 heard
Robin 1
Bullfinch 2
Blackbird

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

11.35 - 13.30

Bottom Res:
Canada Goose 2
Moorhen 2
Mallard 34

Top Res:
Little Grebe 2
Moorhen 2
Grey Heron 1
Mallard 13
Goosander 2 (1 red head and a partially moulted male - still a lot of red on the head. First time I can remember seeing this species here at the start of winter - usually a February visitor)
Black-headed Gull 8

Also
Robin
Wren 1
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Starling
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon
Goldcrest 2
Blackbird
Grey Wagtail 1 male on the all-weather pitch at the academy

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

11.20 -13.00

Bottom Res:
Canada Goose 2 (pair)
Mallard 30

Top Res:
Little Grebe 1
Grey Heron 1
Coot 1
Black-headed Gull 3

Very quiet, except for the fusillade coming from somewhere east of The Roebuck! As Mr. Rigby reported at Castleshaw, cold and windy, with even the gulls having difficulty with cross winds on the top reservoir.

Jackdaw
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 over
Black-headed Gull c6 in cow pasture
Goldfinch small flock heard only
Bullfinch 1 poss 2 birds heard only
Greenfinch small group heard only
Robin
Blue Tit 4/5 - more heard
Long-tailed Tit 2 -more heard
Great Tit 2 minimum
Coal Tit 1
Sparrowhawk 1

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12,00 - 14.00

Bottom Reservoir:
Canada Goose 4 -2 distinct pairs
Mallard 40
Moorhen 1 Juvenile

Top reservoir:
Mallard 4
Little Grebe 3 including 1 humbug-headed juvenile
Moorhen 2 adults
Coot 1 adult

Also:
Jackdaws
Robins 1 in sub song and several contact calling throughout the area
Blue Tits
Great Tits
Wood Pigeons
Long-tailed Tits
Magpies
Jay 1 heard
Chiffchaff 1 min - a bird giving brief snatches of song with contact calls in the same general area later
Wren 1 heard
Carrion Crows
Swallows maximum of 6 overhead heading roughly NE - possibly the young birds from a nearby breeding site still fattening up
Goldcrest 2

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

13.00 - 15.00

Bottom Reservoir:
Mallard 30 - all in eclipse- but still a group of 8 sticking closely together as they foraged
Moorhen 1 juv.

Top Reservoir:
Mallard 9 minimum - 4 more birds flew in but may have come from the bottom reservoir, as the line of sight from the viewpoint is now obscured ( as is most of the view!)
Tufted Duck 5 - 2M
Little Grebe 2(minimum) 1 adult & 1 independent juv., with just a few head stripes left
Coot 5 2 adults 3 juvs of various sizes
Moorhen 4 2 adults & 2 juvs - one of which kept wandering perilously close to...
Grey Heron 1 immature
Black-headed Gull 3 (minimum) with probably 5 or 6 birds coming to bathe during the count period.

Not much else about.

Jackdaw -several
Magpie 3 (minimum)
Wood Pigeon - several
Willow Warbler 2 - 1 contact calling, 1 singing!
Chiffchaff 1 incessantly contact calling in the canopy above a Grey Squirrel
Robin 3 juveniles 1 seen, 2 more calling nearby
Bullfinch 1(heard) contact calling
Long-tailed & Blue Tits contact calling but all deep in the vegetation.
Wren 3 heard
Swallow group of 7 hawking over the fields above the top reservoir, with 4 more passing through together with
House Martin 2

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.40 - 14.20

Bottom Re:
Mallard 18 inc. a tight flotilla of what looked like fairly mature ducklings. They were certainly operating like a brood and seemed slightly smaller than the adult females on the water.
Canada Goose 1

Top Res:
Mallard 8 including 2 downy ducklings
Coot 6 - 4 adults, 2 on opposite sides of the reservoir each with an attendant fluff ball chick
Moorhen 2 - Adult and chick in the junctus at the north end.
Little Grebe 4 2 adults, 2 chicks, both well past the humbug stage. No sign of any other adults.
Tufted Duck 1 male

Also:
Jackdaw
Woodpigeon
Robin 4S
Wren 4S
Magpie
Blue Tit at least 2 juveniles seen, others heard
Blackbird 2S
Willow Warbler 4 min - 2S 2 more seen foraging in a different area at the same time, plus contact calls lower down the valley
Chiffchaff 1S
Swallow 4min 4 together over the Green Lane fields, 2 earlier over the Top Res and horse/Highland Cattle pastures.
Song Thrush 1S
Skylark 1 non-singing bird seen on one of the stone walls before it dropped into one of the silage fields.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

11.35 - 13.20

Despite getting an earlier than usual start still got caught half way round in a good soaking despite waterproofs. It was heavy enough to stop the bird song. Paddled on anyway when it abated a bit - the top and east side paths need the same drainage features which are working well on the west side path.

Bottom Res:
Grey Heron 1
Canada Goose 1
Moorhen 1 with nesting material
Coot 2
Mallard 3
No sign of the Embden Geese again this visit

Top Res:
Coot 4 (2 pairs)
Moorhen 4 (pair with small chick and a singleton at the dam end)
Little Grebe 1 or 2. No more than one bird seen at any one time, but a glimpse of something diving on the west side was too soon after a bird headed south on the east side. Couldn't get decent views of all of the south bank when a bird was heard whickering just before the heavens opened.

Also:
Blackbird -several singing
Song Thrush 1 s
Robin several s
Blackcap 4 s (min)
Willow Warbler 4 s + 2 others with food
Chiffchaff 3 s
Wren 2 s
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Swallow 1 bathing Top Res.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.35 - 14.30

Golden Steps:
Dipper 1 no rings.

Bottom Res:
Mallard 7 6M 1F
Moorhen 1
Coot 2 1(N)
Canada Goose 1 again on one of the fishing pegs
No sign of the Embden Geese

Top Res:
Coot 4
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 2(min) initially no sign, which wasn't surprising given the number of people hanging out at the outflow. After a 20 wait 1bird was seen in the SE corner at the same time as a bird called in the NW corner. Later scan from the opposite side produced 2 birds out on the water.

Also:
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Jay 1
Jackdaw
Wood Pigeon
Blackbird several (S)
Chiffchaff 2 (min S)
Willow Warbler 4 (min S) - As usual, the Chiffchaff were all around the lower reservoir, the Willow Warblers throughout the valley.
Swallow 3
Dunnock
Blackcap 3 (S)
Coal Tit 1
Wren
Long-tailed Tit
Bullfinch
Starling

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.05 - 13-55.

Bottom Res:
Coot 2
Moorhen 2
Mallard 5(m)
Canada Goose 3 (pair at the outflow, single bird by one of the top pegs)
Embden Goose 2

and a fisherman who thought that one of the Embden Geese nearly being entangled by one of his casts was d" BIRD'S fault disbelief

Top Res:
Coot 4
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 3
Mallard 3(m)
Tufted Duck 4 (a pair at either end of the res)
Grey Heron 1
Dipper 1 flew north over the reservoir in the general direction of Bishop's Park

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 2 (pair on the old overflow channel by the bridge)

River Medlock (Lowbrook Lane)
Dipper 1

Of the rest
Robins (s) were again the most conspicuous, at least from their song, almost drowning out
Blackbird (s)
Great Tit (s)
Wren (s)
Chiffchaff (s at least 1 -probably doing a circuit as there was never a response from elsewhere in the valley)
Goldcrest (s)
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw inc. a pair with nesting material
Jay 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 heard calling
Long-tailed Tit
Goldfinch (s)
Chaffinch
Blue Tit.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 3rd of April 2016 05:11:29 PM

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.15-13.45 Pleasant walk with a continuous soundtrack of Robin song, including 2 males having a sing-off on either side of one of the side tracks. They didn't even miss a note as I passed between them. smile

. Background support from Blackbirds, Great Tits, and, from time to time, a chorus of Jackdaws.

Bottom Res:
Canada Goose pair at outflow
Embden Goose 2 at inflow
Mallard 3 (2M)
Moorhen 1

Top Res:
Moorhen 1
Mallard 1pair
Coot 3
Little Grebe 3 - pair and a spare.

Plus:
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon
Goldfinch
Magpie
Dunnock
Bullfinch 1M (s)
Coal Tit 2 minimum
Goldcrest 2 minimum
Treecreeper
Mallard drake up in the horse pastures - looked like he was 'on duty'
Black-headed Gull 1 flyover. As landfill sites close I wonder if gulls will eventually become more costal species again?
confuse

As I was leaving c100 Jackdaws came up from somewhere towards Bishop's Park and headed off towards Lydgate

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

A chilly 12.20 to 14.00

Bottom res:
Mallard 25
Moorhen 3
Canada Goose 2
Embden Goose 2
Aylesbury Duck 3

Top res:
Mallard 8
Tufted Duck 1M
Goosander 6 (2M)
Coot 4
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 2 (1 in summer plumage, some courtship going on)
Black-headed Gull 8
Kingfisher 1 (also apparently one at Castleshaw yesterday, according to a lady at the viewpoint)

Golden Steps:
Grey Wagtail 1M

also:
Jackdaw
Sparrowhawk 1m (early) 1F (2 hrs later)
Goldfinch
Woodpigeon
Blue Tit
Robin
Dunnock
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Chaffinch
Kestrel 1M
Blackbird 3M 1F

Mistle Thrush at Greenacres Road

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.05 - 13.30

Fairly quiet, unsurprisingly, apart from the Goldfinches on Holgate Street. How so few birds manage to make so much noise.. Bottom Res: 99%frozen. In the open water at the inflow: Embden Goose 2 Black-headed Gull 2 Mallard 8 (possibly the birds from the Top Reservoir moving down to warmer limes. Their neighbours have all moved to the stream between Huddersfield Rd. and Greenacres Rd. (40 birds) Top Res: 97% frozen Coot 2 Little Grebe 1 - first time I've recorded a bird here in January. Also: Goldfinch c12 Magpie c12 Great Tit 4 Wood Pigeon 10 Robin 6 Carrion Crow 3 Blue Tit 5 Blackbird 6 Bullfinch 2 min. Wren 2 Goldcrest 1 heard House Sparrow - several heard in conifers at reservoir end of Holgate Street. Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 heard near the Top reservoir, then later 1 bird seen flying into the Holgate St. conifers, with a similar sized bird with buff-coloured wing patches behind it confuse

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 17th of January 2016 06:26:56 PM

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.07-13.55

Bottom Res:
Mallard 36
Embden Goose 2
Moorhen 1
Black-headed Gull 10

Top Res:
Mallard 8
Tufted Duck 2 (m & f)
Coot 4
Little Grebe 1 (if the weather stays this mild it will be interesting to see if it over-winters)
Black-headed Gull 2 - ones and twos drifting overhead throughout the visit, but no sign of any large gulls at all

Also:
Magpie 2
Goldfinch
Blackbird - several males & females
Jay 1(heard only)
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit - party of 8
Goldcrest 3 (minimum) 2 working through the conifers along the western edge of the Bottom Res, 1 with the party of Long-tailed Tits
Robin 4+
Jackdaw flyover party of 40, other individuals calling around the area
Carrion Crow 4 (minimum)
Wood Pigeon 2(!)
Wren
Sparrowhawk Cracking views of a male perched in the larches beside Golden Steps.
Starling 1 cunningly positioned so that the terminal bud of its' perch was just showing at the right point of its' silhouette - but the bubbling Curlew calls rather gave the game away biggrin

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.20 - 14.00 Bottom res: Mallard 28 Embden Goose 2 Moorhen 1 Black-headed Gull 25 Top res: Mallard 15 Tufted Duck 1f Little Grebe 1 Coot 5 Moorhen 2 (1 adult, 1 juv) Grey Heron 1 Black-headed Gull 1 on res, 3 more over. Also: Magpie Carrion Crow Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard only) Goldfinch c8 but managed to sound like a much bigger flock! Song Thrush 1 Blackbird c6 Long-tailed Tit 10+ (2+ Golden Steps, 8+ Viewpoint) Wood Pigeon Wren 2 Sparrowhawk 1 Bullfinch 1(heard only) Great Tit 1 Blue Tit 1 with 2nd lot of Long-tailed Tits Jackdaw 30 Pheasant 1m - an uncommon bird up here, probably escaping the fusillade across the valley! Robin - several, including at least one pair disputing the top horse fields! Greenfinch Pink-footed Goose - heard only from the top of the valley: at least 2 birds, sounding to be heading south on the west side Mistle Thrush 1 Goldcrest 3

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Sunday 11th October 12.00 - 12.45

Bottom Res:
Mallard - 43
Embden Goose - 2
Moorhen - 1
Black-headed Gull - 11

Bulldog discovering the water's deeper than it looks on the ducks - 1!
Luckily his owner was there to drag him out - once said owner had decided that his dog was more important than his jacket. The dog had gone under twice by this point! disbelief

Top Res:
Mallard - pair
Moorhen - 1
Coot - 4
Little Grebe - 5 (minimum) All the birds appear to be in winter plumage now and are strung out along the edges of the reservoir, apart from 1 begging juvenile, so total is the most seen at one scan.
Grey Heron -1

also
Blue tit
Robin
Bullfinch
Magpie
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Wren
Long-tailed Tit
Chaffinch
Goldcrest
Treecreeper

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.40 - 15-10

Bottom Res:
Mallard 47
Moorhen 2 - 1 Adult, 1 Juv
Embden Goose 2
Black-headed Gull 3 plus 4 over

Top Res:
Mallard 2
Tufted Duck 4 - 2M 2F
Coot 2
Moorhen 4- 1 Adult 3 Juv
Grey Heron 1
Little Grebe 6 - 2 Adult summer plumage (1 still being pestered by and chasing off 1 juv) 2nd juv, 2 winter plumage/juvenile birds on the opposite side of the res.
- and this month's bonus bird
Teal 1F ( first I've seen here for many years, shunted out from under an overhanging Willow by one of the adult Grebes) biggrin

Steady passage southward of small parties of Swallows and House Martins, mainly the latter, with some stopping to feed over the surrounding meadows. Numbers from 3/4 up to a maximum of c.10. It total 50+ Mouse Martins and c.10 Swallows.

Robin several in sub-song
Wood Pigeon 5
Blue Tit 3
Goldfinch 7
Greenfinch 1
Magpie 3
Jackdaw 5
Grey Wagtail 1 over S
Pied Wagtail 1 over N
Jay 1
Nuthatch 1(heard)
Mistle Thrush 1
Wren 2 (heard)
Blackbird 1 heard)
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 over

40 Starlings nearby over Sycamore Ave

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.20 - 14.25

Bottom Res:
Mallard 14
Moorhen 2 juveniles
Black-headed Gull 4
Embden Goose 2

Top Res:
Mallard 10
Tufted Duck 2 (male & female)
Coot 12 - 2 family parties numbers as before.
Moorhen 2 adult & 2 juveniles
Little Grebe 7 - 1 adult feeding 2 fairly young chicks (still with well striped heads) 1 adult with 2 older chicks (larger, more into winter plumage) and a 3rd adult.
Black-headed Gull 5
There appeared to be a hatch of flies on the Top res during my visit as there was a sudden rise in the number of hirundines present. The local Swallows were boosted from three to about a dozen plus one House Martin, then a further flurry of House Martins took their total to around 10. At peak there were roughly 20 Swallows and 12 House Martins feeding in rotation over the res, with a big rise in the number of Common Blue Damselflies as well (see other wildlife). After about 20 minutes the flock dispersed up the valley still feeding over the surrounding fields.

Also:
Goldfinch
Robin (min 4)
Blue Tit
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Jackdaw
Willow Warbler (min 3)
Chaffinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Wren
Goldcrest (2)
Jay (2) mimicking Grey Heron(!)
Chiffchaff 1

and a pair of friendly, well behaved Red Setters taking a couple of pillocks for a walk disbelief

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12-07-2015 12.40 - 15.00

Bottom Res:
Mallard 25
Embden Goose 2
Moorhen 1 juv.

Top res:
Mallard 15 adult plus 5 ducklings
Tufted Duck 5
Moorhen 1
Little Grebe 3 adults
Coot 12 -2 family groups: 2 adults & 2 independent juveniles & 2 adults & 6 younger juveniles, still being fed by the parents.

Blackbird, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Song Thrush, Robin all in song with some of the Robins already shifting into sub song.
Dunnock 4 Adult + 3 juveniles
Robin 2 Adult juvenile
Willow Warbler 2 juveniles making contact calls.

Also
Goldfinch
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Wren
Blue Tit
Swallow
Jackdaw
Coal Tit
Bullfinch

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.40 - 14.20

Golden Steps
Grey Wagtail 2 - adult female feeding young - in exactly the same spot as the Dipper were last month.

Bottom Res:
Mallard 23
Embden Goose 2
Moorhen 2 Adult and juvenile

Top Res:
Coot 10(!) 1adult with 2 well-developed young, 2 adults with 5 younger chicks
Little Grebe 3 all adults, no sign of any offspring. 2 of the adults were in a territorial dispute, whickering at each other and making a series of short flying lunges.
Grey Heron 1 sub-adult.

Top Res. Feeder Channel
Grey Wagtail 2 - adult male feeding young. Presuming this is the mate to the Golden Steps female they've obviously moved a good way apart to maximise their chances.

Blackcap - 3 singing
Blackbird - several singing
Blue Tit - several, 1 feeding young
Coal Tit - 1 seen, at least 2 more heard
Willow Warbler - 3 singing
Chiffchaff - 1 singing
Song Thrush - 1 singing
Wren -several singing
Robin - 2 singing
Nuthatch - 2 calling overhead
Swallow - 6 low over horse paddocks
Swift - 1 low with Swallows
Starling - the flock has moved into the top horse pasture towards Moorside - still at least 50 strong, but could only count those flushed from the long grass/buttercups
Jackdaw - several on Holgate Street around the conifers having a punch up with some
Magpie - 2 on Holgate Street, a further one sounded as if it was feeding a juvenile in the scrub to the west of Lower Res.
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 21st of June 2015 04:58:36 PM

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Tuesday 26/05/2015 - 11.25-13.30

Golden Steps:
Dipper 2 - Adult feeding young
Grey Wagtail 1 -male collecting food. Male also seen higher up the valley, feeding in outflow stream between the two reservoirs, then three birds seen in flight silhouette flying down to Bottom Reservoir

Bottom Res:
Canada Goose 2
Embden Goose 2
Mallard 5 all males
Moorhen 2

Top Res:
Coot 6 - Pair with 2 chicks, 2nd pair
Moorhen 3 -Pair and single, possible 4th bird as one of pair was well hidden in vegetation.
Little Grebe 3 Pair and single
Mallard 2

Robin - several singing
Blackbird - ditto
Chaffinch - ditto, also a pair collecting nesting material
Willow Warbler - several singing, also contact calls
Chiffchaff - 1 singing
Wren - 1 singing
Song Thrush - 1 singing
Blackcap - 3 singing, including one mimicking the opening notes of a Nightingale
Mistle Thrush 3 - a well-developed youngster alarm calling, then two other birds joined in before chasing off...
Sparrowhawk 1 male
Starling C50 in the top horse pastures, many of them this year's birds.
Barn Swallow up to 4 birds hawking over the trees and top pastures

Green, Gold and Bullfinches
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Dunnock
Wood pigeon
Carrion Crow
Jay
Magpie
Jackdaw

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Postponed Sunday visit biggrin

12.40 -15.00

Golden Steps:
Dipper 1
Mallard pair

Bottom Res:
Embden Goose pair being very territorial with
Canada Goose pair
Mallard 5 3 males and a pair.

Top Res:
Grey Heron 1 on outflow retaining wall
Grey Wagtail 1 male on outflow wall
Little Grebe 2 pairs
Mallard 3 males
Coot pair -1 bird on old nest
Moorhen 1
Swallow 2 feeding low over the res
Sand Martin 4 feeding over the res. First time I've seen them feeding here, usually I get the odd bird flying through on passage

Also:
Blackbird - several in song, mostly along the extension of Waterworks Road
Goldfinch
Chaffinch - S
Bullfinch - surprising number singing/calling today
Wood Pigeon
Wren
Robin - certainly the most numerous songster today.
Willow Warbler 2 minimum. Always hard to estimate numbers from song as my route turns back around the top res and comes back down the other side. No more than two birds heard singing at the same time
Chiffchaff 1 initially rather slurred song but it got going eventually
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Carrion Crow 2
Jackdaw
Magpie
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 drumming and chasing a second bird back and forth along the Waterworks road extension
Blackcap 2 males 'tacking' later 1 bird singing
Sparrowhawk 1 large female fast and low through the willows on the western side of Lower Res
Goldcrest 2
Mistle Thrush 1
Song Thrush 1
Long-tailed Tit 2

Despite the cold wind and the hail showers it was a beautiful, peaceful afternoon, the sort of day when one can stand still for a moment and let the birds work their way past you in the bushes, or sit on a bench eating your butties watching skimming hirundines and listening to the Little Grebes wicca at each other........

or it would have been if some fornicating onanist of a dog buyer hadn't slung their black plastic bag of poo into the middle of the little dell below the western path to the top reservoir! Congratulations and a gold star for that bit of selfishness. Having it sit there dangling in the middle of it all just makes it picture perfect. The bone-idle, misbegotten oaf didn't even have to take it home; there's a bin in the car park! furious

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.57 - 14.27

Golden Steps:
Mallard pair at the start of my circuit
Grey Wagtail (male) at the end.

Bottom Res:
Embden Goose 2
Canada Goose 2
Mallard 8 - 7 males, 1 female : most birds presumably paired off and nesting

Top Res:
Little Grebe 2
Coot 4 - 1 with nesting material
Tufted Duck 4 - 2of each sex
Mallard 1 - drake flew in from the back pools
Goosander 5 - 3 males, 2 females, one of which was in eclipse plumage and preening vigorously
Canada Goose 3
Black-headed Gull 17
Common Gull 1

Also;
Magpie
Robin - several S
Goldfinch - several S
Wood Pigeon
Blue Tit - several s
Chaffinch - 2 S
Dunnock - 1
Coal Tit -2
Mistle Thrush - a pair
Redwing - c20
Starling - 10 over, flying east to join a flock of about 50 along Roebuck Lane
Jackdaw
Sparrowhawk - 1 female
Long-tailed Tit - 3 seen, more heard around the circuit
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 male
Carrion Crow
Bullfinch 2

2 Canada Goose seen in the pasture on the east side of the Top Res. were probably from the trio on that res as none were visible when I rechecked it a few minutes later.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

08/02/2015 11.40 - 13.30 Webs.

Foggy biggrin

, treacherous under foot in places and definitely more wintry than in January.

Bottom Res: 98% frozen - just a small area of open water where the stream comes in from the top res.
Black-headed Gull - C89 on the ice - calculated from various angles through the mist
Common Gull - 2
Embden Goose - 2
Mallard - 10 initially in the area of open water building to a feeding frenzy of about 40 when someone turned up with some bread and ducks poured out of the reeds from all directions

Top Res: Apparently 100% frozen, although the area around the upper inflow wasn't visible from any viewpoint.
Nothing to be see on the ice.

Seen:
Blue Tit - 2
Robin - 3
Magpie - 2
Wood Pigeon - 3
Nuthatch - 1 low down in rhododendrons
Treecreeper - 1 probably 2
Goldcrest - 1 - 2nd bird calling nearby
Dunnock - 1
Carrion Crow -1
Goldfinch )
Blackbird ) - all heard only
Bullfinch )
Coal Tit )

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.10 - 14.00

Bottom Res: (50% ice)
Mallard 2
Moorhen 3
Black-headed Gull 58
Embden Goose 2

Top Res: (60% ice)
Mallard 40
Moorhen 2

No Dipper(unsurprisingly smile

) but a good selection of the usuals.
Most interesting behaviour was from a Coal Tit foraging near the view point. The bird had been very active, coming down for scattered seed, reacting to passing dogs, giving a variety of calls, when some of the 60 strong flock of Jackdaws on the fields behind became very vocal. The bird froze, with head up, and stayed like that for several minutes until I "recycled" my pear core into the bushes lower down. There didn't seem to be anything particular about the Jackdaw calls, unlike the specific "Sparrowhawk" call I've heard from small passerines, so whether the Coal Tit was reacting to them as a threat I couldn't tell. I've heard of the behaviour but never seen it before. It would have won any games of "statues" we used to play as kids biggrin

Two areas of Scarlet Elfcup in the Birch wood to the west of the Lower Res. Much less of it than last year, probably to do with the lack of fallen twigs/branches.

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 25th of January 2015 06:09:55 PM

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

07/12/14

12.50 - 14.30 Rain/sleet/hail - rhododendrons are useful for something then

Golden Steps:
Dipper 1

Bottom res:
Mallard 15
Moorhen 3
Embden Goose 2
Black-headed Gull 29

Top res:
Mallard 23
Moorhen 4
Coot 2
Black-headed Gull 1
Little Grebe 1 - latest record for one here

Pied Wagtail M & F
Magpie
Wood Pigeon
Goldfinch
Wren
Jackdaw
Goldcrest at least 4
Carrion Crow
Robin
Long-tailed Tit
Chaffinch
Bullfinch
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Blackbird
Sparrowhawk M - had a go at the Blackbirds in the hedge along the top bridleway but missed its' target.
Dunnock

Surprise omission from "usuals" list - no Blue Tits!

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

11.30 - 13.30

Golden Steps:
Dipper 2 biggrin

(Would have expected last month's bird to be on Lees Brook by now)

Bottom Res:
Mallard 23
Moorhen 2
Embden Goose 2
Black-headed Gull 31

Top Res:
Mallard 1M
Tufted Duck 1M
Coot 2
Moorhen 3
Little Grebe 1
Grey Heron 1
Black-headed Gull 13

Plenty of Robins about with at least half a dozen in sub-song, also 4 Goldcrests, as two pairs chased each other about at opposite ends of the site

Song Thrush 1

Bullfinch, Jay & Great Spotted Woodpecker all heard

plus usual's

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 9th of November 2014 04:18:45 PM

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.30 - 14.00

Golden Steps:
Dipper 1 (unringed)

Bottom Res:
Moorhen 3 (1 juv)
Mallard 55
Black-headed Gull 9 - with 6 more hawking over the mature copse
Embden Goose 2

Pink-footed Goose 95 high over W to E at 12.55

Top Res:
Moorhen 5 (1 juv)
Coot 2
Little Grebe 5 (all in winter plumage so presume at least 1 juv has made it this far smile

)
Tufted Duck 3 - 2M 1F
Grey Heron 1 - flew from small ponds at back on east bank down towards Bottom res.
Black-headed Gull
Blackbird
Robin (many in subsong)
Goldfinch
Nuthatch (heard)
Jackdaw
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Wren
Bullfinch
Long-tailed Tit - 7
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Carrion Crow

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.40 - 15.15

Bottom res:
Mallard 28
Tufted Duck 1M
Moorhen 1
Black-headed Gull 1
Embden Goose 2

Top res:
Mallard 4
Tufted Duck 1M
Moorhen 4 inc 1 juvenile
Coot 2
Little Grebe 6 inc 2 juveniles
Kingfisher 1 biggrin

spent at least half an hour back and forth between the wall of the outflow and a convenient branch. Excellent lunchtime viewing.

Lots of Robins, mostly heard - subsong, "tchackking", and a few begging calls still.
Chiffchaff 2, one singing (!) the other "experimenting"
Willow Warbler several
Bullfinch minimum 3
Nuthatch at least 1 bird (3 sightings in total along the side of the valley)

In the mature copse several Blue Tit in association with
Great Tit 1
Coal Tit 1
Long-tailed Tit several
Blackcap 1
Goldcrest 1
Chaffinch
Song Thrush 1 juvenile
Treecreeper 2

Raven over from sw to ne

Sparrowhawk 2 - Female over Strine Dale mobbed by c12 Swallows; Male over Bottom res with a couple of Swallows in pursuit

plus
Blackbird
Jay - 2
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Jackdaw
Wren
Wood Pigeon
Goldfinch

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Saturday 9th Sept. 11.45-14.05

Bottom Res:
Mallard 20
Embden Goose 2

Top Res:
Mallard 11
Tufted Duck 4 (1 male still in breeding plumage)
Moorhen 2 (adult & juv)
Coot 2 (no sign of any juvs from earlier in the Summer cry

)
Little Grebe 6 ( 4 adult, 2 juv -well past "humbug" stage)

Robin several juvs calling in thick cover
Jackdaw 27 in horse pasture - numbers up around site now the tip is closed
Common Gull 16 in fields with
Black-headed Gull c18
Bullfinch 2 female/juv
Swallow 7
Hobby 1 (fly through from Roebuck Lane where the Swallows had mainly been feeding)

plus usuals

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.30 - 15.00

Bottom Res:
Moorhen 1
Mallard 16

Top Res:
Moorhen 2
Coot 2
Little Grebe 4 Adult in a territorial dispute
Tufted Duck 4 (2 of each)
Mallard 22
plus
1 giant Goldfish,

1 depth-charging dog and a quantity of abandoned clothing by the dam outlet. confuse

Best of the rest (14 species)
Bullfinch 2
Swallow 7 youngsters on a fence wire lined up to be fed by the adults.

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Weds May 21st. 12.00 - 14.00

Bottom Res:
Mallard 3 M
Coot 1
Embden Goose 2

Top Res:
Mallard 2 M
Little Grebe 2
Coot 1

Best of the rest of the other 16 usuals was the Little Owl showing well at the usual spot. Still several Willow Warblers singing, plus a couple of Blackcaps and 1 Chiffchaff. No sign of any Grey Wagtails at the Golden Steps, but a female further down stream by The Bull Inn on Dunham Street was collecting food.

No tadpoles in the small pool between the reservoirs (too muddy) but a pair of Common Blue Darters were the first of the year for me here

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

10.57 -12.57 Bit breezy
biggrin

Bottom Res:
Mallard 6 all drakes
Canada Goose 1 - then relocated to Top Res.
Embden Goose 2 1m 1f

Top Res:
Coot 3
Canada Goose 2
Little Grebe 2 (at opposite ends of the reservoir -a "domestic"? biggrin

)

Willow Warbler 6 (S) but most birds seemed to be doing more feeding than singing.
Chiffchaff 1 (S)
Blackcap 1 (S)
Swallow 1
Treecreeper 1
Robin 1 feeding young, 2 young calling at other points, several other males singing.
Jackdaw 20 - on horse pastures, several more around Waterhead Academy/local church. Presumably part of the High Moor flock now dispersed.
Black-headed Gull 1 over main road. No other gulls seen anywhere around the valley.

No sign of Grey Wagtails at Golden Steps

plus usuals

-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 20th of April 2014 05:22:24 PM

Graham Beverley · Status: Offline

My first swallow this year

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Webs 12.05 - 14.05

Started with a Coot on the bottom level of the Golden Steps. That's definately a first! biggrin

Finished with a pair of Grey Wagtails on the higher level of the same steps.

Bottom Res:
Coot 2 (as well as the Golden Steps bird)
Moorhen 2
Mallard 4 pair and 2 spare males
Embden Goose 3

Top Res:
Little Grebe 1 (still in winter plumage)
Canada Goose 1 pair
Mallard 1 pair
Coot 2 pair
Tufted Duck 2 pair

A game bird (probably Pheasant poult) flushed twice from first the birch wood at the top res, then the rhodedendrons lower down.

Goldfinch )
Greenfinch )
Robin )
Bullfinch ) all in song
Great Tit )
Blue Tit )
Blackbird )
Chaffinch )

Jackdaw 25 along Waterworks Lane
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon
Magpie

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Yesterday's Webs: 12.35 - 14.00

Bottom Res:
Canada Goose 2 (pair)
Embden Goose 3
Mallard 5 (4m1f - one of my lowest counts for this res. Given the absence of any Mallard from the Top Res, I wonder if the ducks are already sitting?)

Top Res:
Coot 1
Moorhen 1/2 (one sighting of a bird in the reed on the west side of the res, later a bird on the east side)
Goosander 1m

The rest:
Goldfinch
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Blackbird
Carrion Crow
Robin (several, but stangely they were quieter than in January when there seemed to be more full song)
Wren 1
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Bullfinch 1 m
Black-headed Gull 1(!)
Jackdaw 1 (!)

The last two sightings a clear indication of the difference the closure of High Moor tip has made, compared even to last month

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.00 - 13.30 (Webs)

Bottom Res:
Embden Goose 3
Canada Goose 14 (possibly Mr Suttill's missing birds?)
Mallard 31
Moorhen 1

Top Res:
Mallard 3 (2m 1f)
Tufted Duck 3 (ditto)
Coot 2
Moorhen 2

No large gulls here, either, reflecting the closure of High Moor Tip. Overhead 70 Black-headed Gulls, with 20 more and 6 Common Gulls feeding on pastureland at Green Lane Farm

Also:
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin - good numbers around, judging by all the song around the circuit
Blackbird
Mistle Thrush
Carrion Crow
Magpie
Jackdaw - again, far fewer birds than when the tip was open
Wood Pigeon
Chaffinch
Bullfinch

and at least 1 "Dennis Atherton" ("it was small and brown and flew that way") biggrin

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Sunday 15th 13.35 - 15.05

Bottom Res:
Black-headed Gull 27 (nice to see any number above 1!)
Mallard 12
Embden Goose 3
Moorhen 1

Top res:
Tufted Duck 2 -1m1f
Mallard - 2m2f
Coot 1
Grey Heron 1

Goldfinch -small flock scattered through the birches on Culvert Street.
Jackdaw - C100 flushed from fields to the east of Roebuck Lane, later small parties moving west
Carrion Crow - c10 in with the Jackdaw
Bullfinch 4 - a pair on Culvert Street, two others around the Top Res
Robin 4 - 2 chasing around on Culvert Street, at least two others around the site
Blackbird 4 min. -3 together feeding on hips near the new Treatment Works

Magpie
Mistle Thrush
Mixed flock of Long-tailed, Blue & Great Tits, plus Goldcrest on Culvert Street
Woodpigeon
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1(!) over

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Mike Chorley wrote:

Top Res:
Coot 1 (adult)
Moorhen 1 (juvenile)
No Little Grebes

When the freezing fog had burnt off and I could eventually see the far side of the lodge, there was a new Little Grebe at Royal George Mill yesterday, associating with the one that has been present for several weeks. Or has the original one gone and two new ones turned up? confuse

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

14.15 - 15.40

Bottom Res:
Mallard 11
Moorhen 1 (adult)
Embden Geese 3

Top Res:
Coot 1 (adult)
Moorhen 1 (juvenile)
No Little Grebes

Fairly quiet otherwise;
Long-tailed Tit 6
Goldfinch 5
Magpie 3
Black-headed Gull 2 (feeding in fields to east of reses)
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Robin
Wren
Wooodpigeon
Jay
Greenfinch
Mistle Thrush

The bulk of the activity here today was a regular passage east to west of small parties of Jackdaws and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, until just as I was leaving, when there was a small roost of about 10 Blackbirds gathering at the end of Culvert Street.

Several new species of fungus to identify smile

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

During football training

160+ Woodpigeon high up South at 0930hrs
Grey Wagtail

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

During football training

Raven mobbing a Kestrel
Jay
Grey Wagtail

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

Sunday 13th October: 13.05 - 14.40

Bottom Reservoir:
Mallard - 20
Embden Goose - 3
Moorhen - 1 juvenile

Top Reservoir:
Coot -2
Moorhen - 1 juvenile
Mallard - 5
Tufted Duck - 1M
Little Grebe - 3 (all in winter plumage -split between a pair with plenty of wickering going on and a single bird)
Common Gull - 1
Black-headed Gull - 7 (it will be interesting to see the effect changes at High Moor Tip will have on counts this winter)

Redwing 22 (feeding near the school)
Magpie
Blackbird
Wren
Robin
Goldfinch -40
plus a feeding party around the old treatment works comprising
Great Tit - 3
Blue Tit - 17
Long-tailed Tit - 13
Chaffinch 1

Good number of all three Tit species heard throughout the site

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

During football training

868 Redwing over SW as heavy rain subsided
2 Bullfinch
Collared Dove
3 Mistle Thrush
2 Jay

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12-00 - 14-30

Bottom Res:
Mallard 44
Embden Goose 3
Moorhen 1(juv)
Grey Heron 1 (juv) - later moved to small ponds by Top Res.

Top Res:
Coot 3 (2adult 1 juv)
Moorhen 3 juvenile
Tufted Duck 2 (male and female)
Mallard 3
Little Grebe 3 - seemed to be a pair and juvenile, with the pair driving the other one off when it tried to beg for food. All 3 in winter plumage now.

Highlight of the remaining dozen species was a Little Owl sunning itself in it's (new) usual spot.

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

My new home each Saturday between 0930-1100 watching 'Little Riggers' at football training

2 Grey Wagtail
5 Meadow Pipit
2 Jay

Over the football pitches.

steve exton · Status: Offline

Top res this afternoon 24 mall
ard/4 little grebe 1 juv/5 tufted duck 2 female / 2 wigeon

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

Steve Suttill wrote:

Mike Chorley wrote:

Little Grebe 4 - 2 adult and 2 "post-humbug" chicks, one of which was still chasing a parent for food. Lowest breeding record here for several years (2 pairs and 4 chicks more usual), so I wonder if the birds at Castleshaw are the "spare" pair visiting Riggers en route to their winter hols at Lake Suttill?

Well, judging from Mr. Rigby's latest post, they have left Castleshaw - will inspect Royal George Lodge this weekend

Chaps,

The Castleshaw Little Grebes were juveniles so puts paid to that theory! hmm

Steve Suttill · Status: Offline

Mike Chorley wrote:

Little Grebe 4 - 2 adult and 2 "post-humbug" chicks, one of which was still chasing a parent for food. Lowest breeding record here for several years (2 pairs and 4 chicks more usual), so I wonder if the birds at Castleshaw are the "spare" pair visiting Riggers en route to their winter hols at Lake Suttill?

Well, judging from Mr. Rigby's latest post, they have left Castleshaw - will inspect Royal George Lodge this weekend smile

Mike Chorley · Status: Offline

12.40 -15.00

Bottom Res:
Coot 1
Mallard 25
Embden Goose 3

Top Res:
Mallard 21
Tufted Duck 4 (2M)
Coot 3 - Pair plus chick biggrin

Little Grebe 4 - 2 adult and 2 "post-humbug" chicks, one of which was still chasing a parent for food. Lowest breeding record here for several years (2 pairs and 4 chicks more usual), so I wonder if the birds at Castleshaw are the "spare" pair visiting Riggers en route to their winter hols at Lake Suttill?

Also:
Carrion Crow
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Robin
Wren
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Bullfinch
Swallow - several through south
Jackdaw
Black-headed Gull - 8 feedingin fields nearby
Lesser Black-Backed Gull -over SW
Grey Heron - over lower res but heard only