Steve Atkins wrote:

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Yes Steve it certainly is an amazing coincidence. As I read your email I thought to myself "There's not much chance of me seeing an Osprey at Watergrove", especially as my one and only previous sighting here was in 1995! It's been a long wait, but certainly worth it.
The Osprey was circling over East Hill and was in view for about a minute from the track by the SE corner of the resr. I lost sight of it as it drifted over the top of the hill, probably heading south or south-east.
Do you want to place a bet Steve on a Marsh Sandpiper turning up. Go on, I dare you.

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Marsh Sandpiper - even I'm not that foolhardy

However, I didn't see any Ospreys on Speyside (the RSPB centre had closed down completely, so the birds must have left several weeks ago) but neither did I see any Crested Tits - now that would be a "mega" for Watergrove

Steve

Yes Steve it certainly is an amazing coincidence. As I read your email I thought to myself "There's not much chance of me seeing an Osprey at Watergrove", especially as my one and only previous sighting here was in 1995! It's been a long wait, but certainly worth it.
The Osprey was circling over East Hill and was in view for about a minute from the track by the SE corner of the resr. I lost sight of it as it drifted over the top of the hill, probably heading south or south-east.
Do you want to place a bet Steve on a Marsh Sandpiper turning up. Go on, I dare you.

Osprey over south-east at 07:05 this morning

info thanks to Steve Atkins with more details from the man later on no doubt

A Lesser Whitethroat showed really well in the hedgerow between the club house and the hide this morning. A new species for Watergrove.
Also 3 juv. Willow Warblers looking really smart with lemon-yellow underparts.

A Sanderling here this morning - also 1 LRP

No sooner have we got past midsummer's day and autumn migration is under way, or so it would appear. A Green Sandpiper was on the old Ramsden Rd causeway, in front of the windsurfer's club house, this morning at 06:00 hrs and flew off calling, high up to the south. The first ever June record here. Apart from one May sighting, all previous records have been in July and August.
Also singing this morning - Blackcap, Whitethroat and Sedge Warbler.
The Garden Warbler was singing and showing well yesterday evening along the bridleway to the west of the resr. It's the first one that has been on territory here since 2004. At the time of BBGM (1979-83) none of these Warblers were recorded at Watergrove. So it's good to see that some species are actually increasing in the area.

Hi Mike,

I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed your visit to Watergrove. May is certainly one of the best months and it's a place that is well worth visiting on a regular basis. There must be lots of good birds that pass through unnoticed, as even I can't be there all the time!
Peter Hill once told me that you never used to get Willow Warblers north of Wardle. The tree planting that took place about twenty years ago has seen a massive increase in the number of species that occur. Willow Warbler numbers seem to increase year after year. My highest count this spring was 28 singing birds - another site record, compared to 24 in 2007 and only 6 in 1995.
There was a Garden Warbler singing this morning, in the plantation opposite the Little Town ruin, to the north of the club house. It was heard again this evening opposite the club house.
In an average year I record over 100 species with the all time site list standing at approx. 155 species.

Steve

Sun 24/5 15:30 - 18:00 Glorious sunny afternoon
First time back to site for many year -Wow! what a difference birds everywhere and in song
C Sandp 1 reserve
Dunlin 2 on exposed sand/gravel in middle of res half empty?
Sedge Warbler 2 - reserve
Tufted Duck 3 (2 M+F) reserve
Willow Warbler at least 20 singing - fantastic I was a little concerned about lack of numbers this year
Redpoll at least 10 singing / display flights

Lovely afternoon 32 species - I'll be back ....

A spanking (not literally) summer plumaged Turnstone here this afternoon

Also 2 Dunlin and a Common Sandpiper

Monday 9th March 12 noon

6 Goosanders 3M 3F
1 Kestrel (overhead)
2 Oystercatchers
2 lesser bb gulls
4 Common Gulls
6 Goldfinch near car park

Glad I left work early today for my first Friday afternoon visit to Watergrove since the beginning of January. A flock of 24 Whooper Swans was on the resr (approx. 9 immatures) at 4.30 pm. They were still present at 5.20 pm so hopefully are going to roost overnight. Chris Johnson is going to check for them at first light tomorrow. As far as I can ascertain this is the largest ever flock of Whoopers down on the water in the Rochdale area. There is a record of 50-60 flying over Castleton on 31st Dec 1967. The previous highest count of birds "down" appears to be 16 on Ashworth Moor resr on 8th Nov 1992. What was that you were saying Simon about all birds being scarce in Rochdale?

-- Edited by Steve Atkins at 18:15, 2009-01-30

phil jennison and i spent a pleasant few hours walking the valley above the res this morning between 9.45 & 1.30. glorious sunshine and heavy showers and a truly lovely rainbow mid way.

we had a stoat or it could have been a weasel as steve A, has already seen one nearby where we spotted one this peeping straight at us over the top of a drystone wall on the cobbled road by the last big gate before you get to stewards barn, just ace.

only birds of note were a dozen or so fieldfare feeding on the hawthorn berries up above the stream.

i love it up there. great place.

edit to add stoat/weasel confusion.



-- Edited by Paul Cliff at 18:14, 2008-10-26

i did try your prescribed approach neil but i'm just too much of a novice at it to really be able to turn my back and stay turned. i'm like mrs lot at the minute, just can't help but look back!

Perhaps you should ask Neil Baxter for lessons, Paul

Revenge (for the AMR Brent) came in the form of a Crossbill flying over Turn Slack Clough today, i was even with Steve Atkins to add insult to injury! Mr Paul Cliff had a male Merlin (that he dreamt about last night!), so a good day at Watergrove, but not for Mr Atkins.......hehe

Dont worry steve, plenty of Ring Ouzels to come!!

Dave

A flock of 19 Wigeon in the middle of the resr at 16:30 hrs, is the highest count here of this species since November 2006, when an identical number was recorded. The birds weren't present this morning and may have been brought down by low cloud and drizzle that moved in about 3 p.m. They took off at 16:40 hrs, as the weather cleared, departing high to the north in an unusual formation - two lead birds flying one behind the other, and the rest following in V-formation. There has clearly been some passage of Wigeon through the county today with the birds also seen at Elton and Moses Gate.
A flock of 20 Teal was in the middle of the resr on 31st Aug - present from 12:40 until at least 18:30 hrs.

-- Edited by Steve Atkins at 18:47, 2008-09-12

-- Edited by Steve Atkins at 18:49, 2008-09-12

Dave Winnard and I found a Greenshank at Watergrove at 18:00 hrs this evening. It flew up from the inside of the dam calling, circled over the resr and gave good views as it landed briefly on the shoreline. It then took flight north shortly before a thunderstorm arrived. There were also 2 Sedge Warblers (one singing) by the hide. This was my first record of Greenshank in Rochdale and amazingly only the third record for Watergrove.

From a Greater Manchester perspective, surely Watergrove is the high arctic! It's always seemed like that when I've ventured up there!!

Steve

What are all these Ringed Plovers doing here (and elsewhere in the county)? Seems early for post-breeding flocks to me, though I could be wrong (I often am!).

I was up in Scotland at the start of the month and they were already on eggs or had young then. Are these birds still migrating north and, if so, can they be identified as a more northern race?

Steve

2 Bar-tailed Godwits this afternoon on the spit in front of the club house this afternoon and a Garden Warbler singing.

Info thanks to Steve Atkins

A cracking male Ring Ouzel this evening flew past at close range and landed in the top of a Larch, above the compensation lagoon, on the east side of the resr. It then flew north and was lost to view behind the trees near the memorial garden. Otherwise it has been very quiet here so far this month. Migrants are late arriving and only in small number , hardly surprising given the awful weather. A circuit of the whole valley last Sunday produced just one Wheatear. The first Willow Warbler arrived on 13th April and only two have been heard singing.