2 adult Common Terns in flight over the reservoir this morning at 09:40 hrs, blown in by Storm Lilian. They landed on the north shoreline amongst the gulls and were still present at 10:40 hrs.
Other sightings
Buzzard
Kestrel - 2
Willow Warbler - 1 in sub song
Chiffchaff
Lesser Redpoll in willows by the hide

48 Lapwings yesterday (22/08) evening.

The bird was feeding in a willow on the reservoir side of the track at 12:10 hrs.

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Wednesday 17th of July 2024 01:56:40 PM

Two drake Common Scoters on the reservoir at midday. Still present at 14:00 hrs despite the windsurfer.

April has been the worst here for spring migrants in 30 years of recording, many species have arrived late and in reduced numbers but finally with the warmer weather a few more birds have turned up.
03/05/2024
Shelduck - a drake on the reservoir
Common Sandpiper - one on the shoreline
Skylark - 9 singing on the moors
Chiffchaff - 3 singing
Willow Warbler - 14 singing. The highest count this spring was 22 singing on 14th April down from 28 last year.
Blackcap - 3 singing
Garden Warbler - singing by the hide and giving close range views. The bird arrived yesterday and amazingly, it's the 4th year since 2020 that one (or the same bird) has returned on 2nd May.
Whitethroat - singing from brambles below the car park. First of the year here.
Grasshopper Warbler - seen reeling from juncus on the moor along Ramsden Road. Also first of the year here.
Treecreeper
Wheatear - male
Meadow Pipit - just two singing. Numbers have crashed since last year.
Lesser Redpoll - 2 in the plantations
Reed Bunting - 3 singing

A Great White Egret, landed at the top of a willow tree by the compensation lagoon this morning, on the east side of the reservoir. The bird was flapping its wings to maintain its balance and after about a minute took flight south over the dam at 09:35 hrs. A new species for the site.

A Chiffchaff was singing along the path to the hide and a Kingfisher was on the hide pool.

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Friday 6th of October 2023 02:11:01 PM

The Scoter have just flown NW high up. Final count was 74.

Finally, some autumn migrants have turned up.
4 Common Scoters were on the reservoir this morning - 3 males (2 in partial eclipse) and a female/immature.
5 Shelducks flew in at 11:05 hrs - a pair with 3 juveniles
All ducks still present at midday

A Kingfisher flew across the east side of the reservoir
Lesser Repoll - 2 in song flight. Breeding has been confirmed this year with at least one family party seen on several occasions

Unfortunately, after the incessant rain in July the reservoir is nearly full, so no shoreline left to attract waders.

10 Black-tailed Godwits on the north shoreline this evening is surprisingly only the second site record. They were found by another site regular and in view from the dam until 20:30 hrs at least. All in breeding plumage, they were bathing and preening. Thankfully, the nature reserve fence which protects the shoreline had been repaired last week, otherwise the birds would have probably been flushed.

Steve Atkins wrote:

---

A WHITE STORK drifted NW towards Brown Wardle hill at 09:45 hrs. The bird was high up but seen well for a couple of minutes in a clear blue sky with bright sunshine. Its origin is unknown and it could potentially be one of the free flying birds which belong to a collection.

The White Stork evidently had a blue ring on (not visible to me given the distance of the bird) and came from the Knepp Introduction Scheme in Sussex. The bird is still touring Lancashire now. Information courtesy of Ian McKerchar.

Originally posted today by Dave Olive:

7th April 2023.

Sunny and warm, with high levels of dog walkers and families out for a stroll.

Feeders:long 

Coal tit, Goldfinch, Robin, Canada geese on the water, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Herring Gull, Lone Cormorant, Mallards, Coot, Great Crested Grebe, Male Chaffinch, Redpoll on feeders, Male Bullfinch, Great Tit (2), Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, First Willow Warbler at the hide, Chiffchaff at the hide, Robin, look Crow, Buzzard, Dunnock below feeders, Skylarks, Pied Wagtail.

 

A Chiffchaff sang briefly this morning in the Ramsden Road plantation near to the windsurfers' club house.
It's interesting to note the progressively earlier year-on-year arrival dates:
3rd April 2020
30th March 2021
26th March 2022
None overwintered here, the last sighting was on 01/11/2022

3 Cormorants standing on posts in the reservoir. 2 Oystercatchers come into roost most evenings and use the same posts.
Goosander - pair
Great Crested Grebe - pair

Lapwing - 9 circling high up over Brown Wardle hill

Lesser Redpoll - 5 feeding in birch trees on the west side of the reservoir with a small flock of Goldfinches.

14 Whooper Swans on the reservoir. Found by Alan Nuttall at 11:05 hrs, 3 minutes after I left!
Teal - 2 pairs on the hide pools
Goosander - 2 pairs
Cormorant - 2
Great Crested Grebe - pair
Lapwing - 6 low over the summit of Brown Wardle hill
Goldcrest - 3 singing
Skylark - 7 singing
Song Thrush - 2 singing
Redwing - 5
Meadow Pipit - 3
Chaffinch - 6 singing
Lesser Redpoll - 5 feeding in alders on the edge of Old Tom's Wood (along the bridleway on the west side of reservoir)
Reed Bunting - 1

Whooper Swan - 2 dropped in briefly late afternoon and then flew off west into the sunset, calling.
Wigeon - 10
Goosander - 22 roosting at 17:05 hrs. The peak count so far in January was 34 on 20th.
Green Woodpecker calling from the top of a larch
Lesser Redpoll - 5 feeding on alder cones on the west side of the reservoir

24/01 - a Brambling was calling by the windsurfers' club house, close to the feeding station

23/01 - a Nuthatch (very rarely seen here) was calling on the edge of Old Tom's Wood to the NW of the reservoir
Pink-footed Geese - 160 flew west at 11:18 hrs

19/01 - a Pink-footed Goose was on the reservoir late afternoon with the roosting Canada Geese

26 Wigeon on the reservoir late afternoon, reported by another observer.

Rather typically, the WeBS count this morning only produced 2 Wigeon and the following:
Gadwall - a pair
Mallard - 27
Teal - 4
Tufted Duck - 5
Great Crested Grebe - 2
Lapwing - 51
Snipe - 4
Grey Wagtail - 1

Today's highlight was a Merlin (probably an immature male) which flew NW over the dam at 12:40 hrs, then continued over the reservoir and onto the moors where it was lost to view. Total of 42 species seen including the following:
Gadwall - 4
Wigeon - 3
Wood Pigeon - 2 fully grown juveniles begging from and being fed by an adult. The latest date I've ever seen dependent young of this species.
Kingfisher - heard calling from the hide pool
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Raven - 3
Chiffchaff - one calling by the Little Town ruin was the first since 19/10. Birds were present on 9 dates during the first half of October, so the passage for this autumn looks to be more or less over.
Treecreeper
Fieldfare - 19 dropped down into the treetops
Mistle Thrush - 2 (very rarely seen here this year)
Grey Wagtail at the top of the spillway
Lesser Redpoll - 6
Siskin - 9




-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Tuesday 1st of November 2022 02:15:19 PM

A ringtail Hen Harrier was on the moors at 2.30pm.

I've seen Kestrels stealing prey from both Barn Owls and Short-eared Owls but never before witnessed this interaction with a Hen Harrier. My attention was drawn to the birds by the loud, agitated calling of a Kestrel coming from a large patch of Juncus. Then two birds flew up and to my astonishment I realised that the other was a Hen Harrier which appeared to have hold of the Kestrel. The latter then managed to escape and flew off calling.

The Hen Harrier lifted off from the Juncus flapping heavily with its tail fanned and was carrying prey (probably a vole). It flew perhaps 50m, landed on the ground and was still partly in view (it's head and part of its body visible) whilst feeding on the prey. I watched the harrier feeding for about 10 minutes, at a distance of approx. 200m, until it was flushed by a dog walker. The harrier then flew off east across the moor and was lost to view.

It's a pity that I didn't see the birds before they were both down in the Juncus, as it would be interesting to know whether the Hen Harrier took its chance and dropped onto the Kestrel when it was already on the ground with the prey. Nonetheless, an amazing encounter, one that I'm unlikely to see again.

Greenshank - one was feeding and calling intermittently on the Ramsden Road Causeway at 09:45 hrs. The bird was presumably flushed, as no further sign later in the morning.
Yellow Wagtail - one flew low north calling in the NE corner of the reservoir
Spotted Flycatcher - 3 hawking from conifers to the east of the bridleway by Old Tom's Wood (west side of the reservoir)
Green Woodpecker heard calling
Swallow - 57 hawking high up
Chiffchaff - 4
Blackcap - 3
Goldcrest - 4
Treecreeper - 2
Lesser Redpoll - 4

Highlights from this morning:
Teal - 24 on the reservoir. Clearly a migrant flock which had departed by 10:45 am
Meadow Pipit - 83+ on the north shoreline which is well vegetated below the usual summer water level. Birds moving down off the moors, they are not normally seen around the reservoir except in spring and autumn
Goldfinch - a flock of 50+ feeding on seeds on the dam slope

Yesterday evening (31st August) a single Spotted Flycatcher was in the dead larches above the compensation lagoon.

Attached photo of the Ramsden Rd Causeway which now connects the north and south sides of the reservoir. The water level is 5.5 metres down on maximum.

3 Spotted Flycatchers hawking from the trees above the compensation lagoon this evening. Viewed from the footpath on the east side of the reservoir.
A single was on the west side on Saturday (27th) morning.

Also this evening:
Green Woodpecker heard calling from Ramsden Rd Plantation to the north of the windsurfers' club house.
Along the path to the hide
Chiffchaff - 2 calling
Treecreeper calling

Great Crested Grebe - 2 on the reservoir

Two Sanderlings (in breeding plumage) feeding on the north shoreline, still present at 15:40 hrs. Best viewed with a scope from the top of the dam, by the steps up from the car park. The first June record here.
Found by another Watergrove regular. Yes, there is more than one of us
Garden Warbler and Blackcap singing against each other by the hide, this morning.

Red-throated Diver in SW corner of the reservoir near the tower at 10:50 hrs. It called twice! So is the first April record for the species in Rochdale since 1989 and in GM since 1992.
Greylag Goose on the reservoir trying to outcompete the diver for decibel levels.
Great Crested Grebe - pair
Tufted Duck - male
Goosander - immature male and 2 adult males

Chiffchaff - 2 singing
Willow Warbler - 4+ singing, the first arrived on 2nd April which is the same date as last year and joint earliest ever.
Brambling flew over calling and landed in the trees to the south of the Tree for a Life garden
Lesser Redpoll - 3

The following all in song:
Great Tit -4
Coal Tit - 1
Goldcrest - 1
Skylark- 4
Treecreeper - 1. One seen taking nesting material into a drystone wall on 2nd April. Either one of the same pair which nested in another drystone wall in 2019 and 2021, or the habit is catching on! Perhaps one of the offspring from the two previous wall broods.
Wren - 9
Blackbird - 4
Song Thrush - 1
Robin - 11
Dunnock - 1 plus a pair
Chaffinch - 6
Greenfinch - 2
Goldfinch - 2

Thursday 24th March 2022

Red-throated Diver
Green Woodpecker (heard)
Great Crested Grebe
6 Tufted Ducks

Sunday (10.30 - 12.30)

The Red-throated Diver was present throughout, down to circa 20m from the south edge when a couple of windsurfers were out on the water.

1 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Mallard, 2 Canada Geese and a handful of Black-headed Gull also present.

Up Wardle Brook 3 Stonechat and circa 6 Meadow Pipit were showing. The highlight was a Woodcock. Circa 26 Redwing moving through the area.

Around the feeders at the watersport centre was Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit and Long-tailed Tit.

A short walk up Ramsden Road produced a couple of singing Skylark.

Old Tom's wood held a couple of singing Goldcrest.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 14th of March 2022 10:30:37 AM

If the diver is a 1st winter bird(which it may well be judging earlier photos-although I ain't no expert) then unfortunately it won't achieve full summer plumage this year.Like a lot of larger birds they do not breed in their first summer,and therefore do not achieve breeding plumage. Either way a great record for the county having stayed so long.
.