Watergrove Reservoir

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

RE: Watergrove Resr

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

Hi John,

Welcome to the Manchester Birding Forum. I look forward to reading more posts from you in the future.

There doesn't appear to be any news from Brown Wardle today. Althought the paragliders have now been joined by a radio controlled model aircraft, so perhaps the Dotterel have chosen to go somewhere more peaceful. It is incredible how much disturbance this area is subjected to by other people's leisure activities. We normally have to contend with off road motorbikes as well.

I certainly agree with you about what a wonderful site Watergrove is despite all the disturbance.

Seen this evening:

A pair of Common Sandpipers
Whitethroat singing
Willow Warbler - 8 singing
Skylark - 4 singing
Lapwing displaying
Lesser Redpoll - 5 +
Reed Bunting singing

Steve

John Cooper · Status: Offline

Remarkably after years of watching this site, this is my first posting. And what fantastic site it is.
So, here goes:

Brown Hill from Watergrove Res,

5 x Dotterel, 1 female, 4 male on the NW side of the hill, Grid Ref 897186

Small group of redpoll near the boat house
Willow Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler x2 On the way up the hill
Common Sandpiper
Ringed Plover

And Hi to everyone out there...

Chris Chandler · Status: Offline

Managed to nip up for an hour after work 6-7pm.

The walk up from Wardle was much longer than expected, but well worth it for the 3 Dotterel.
Thanks to the local birders (didn't catch any names) who let me use their far superior binoculars and could tell me to the exact ditch or tussock whether the birds were in GM or Lancashire.

Also seen:
Several Lapwing
Wheatear
Skylark
Mipits
Swallows and a House Martin (1st for the year)
Whitethroat and Willow Warbler

Dennis atherton · Status: Offline

Nice to meet Dave tonight at 7.30 - 8.00 pm who took me and Holly up the hill to show us the birds, thanks again Dave,

three birds looking happy and settled hiding in the large ditches near the top out of the wind

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Still three Dotterel present around the summit of Brown Wardle Hill at 8pm.

Info thanks to Dave Ousey

alan patterson · Status: Offline

keith mills wrote:

Its a piece of cake from Whitworth:Take Church St. up past the Red Lion and ... er... the Church. Where the road splits 3 ways take the middle one.
This road takes you up past the Golf club and onto the South saddle of the hill, and it's just a gentle stroll to the top with Skylarks for company.
About half a mile walk and easy parking.

-- Edited by keith mills on Wednesday 4th of May 2011 09:36:06 AM

Hi Keith,

Found our way there Ok and from where we parked the car at about 11.30 we were able to see 3 birders who were photographing some Dotterel on the south slope of the hill. My friend managed to go up the more level section but was unable to manage the steeper section due to his bad back. Unfortunately for him the photographers kept trying to get closer so the birds were being pushed west and disapeared out of our sight so the best he managed was a distant scoped view of 3 birds. I plodded on and eventualy got a decent view of 3 birds and just sat and watched them with another birder and they even came a bit closer. Much easier than Pendle.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Five Dotterel still present at 9:30, near the summit on the south facing slope.

Info thanks to Dave Ousey and Kevin Lister

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 4th of May 2011 10:43:59 AM

Richard Norris · Status: Offline

At least five still present early morning (6:00 am) but flighty, and commuting between the GM side and Lancashire. Last seen over the border

but I did at least get them on the right side as well

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

Its a piece of cake from Whitworth:Take Church St. up past the Red Lion and ... er... the Church. Where the road splits 3 ways take the middle one.
This road takes you up past the Golf club and onto the South saddle of the hill, and it's just a gentle stroll to the top with Skylarks for company.
About half a mile walk and easy parking.

-- Edited by keith mills on Wednesday 4th of May 2011 09:36:06 AM

Rob Smallwood · Status: Offline

Is access easier from Whitworth or via Watergrove? I may be strapped for time so looking for the quickest way in and out. (Yeah, yeah, I know, flippin' twitchers, eh

)

Adrian Dancy · Status: Offline

At work today the pang of seeing these birds got the better of me so by 10.00am I took leave. Glad I went . 9 birds when Ivan and myself left just after 7.00pm...since I dipped these birds by a whisker the last time I was thrilled to get them this time.

Keith Mills · Status: Offline

BROWN WARDLE HILL:

Thanks to the excellent directions given on this thread I found the Dotterel this evening very easily..... 6 to 6.30 pm
Dotterel 7....... 4 of which were more brightly coloured up than the other 3.

Viewed down from the top of the hill they were 25 yards below on smooth grass.
Very sociable and preferring the County side of the hill.

Last time I came up here, I was enjoying the Rossendale Mountain bike challenge,
but the site of these gorgeous birds was just great . They are worth two ticks on anybody's list!!

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Nine Dotterel still present on Brown Wardle Hill at 7pm this evening.

Info thanks to Dave Ousey

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Nine Dotterel still present on Brown Wardle Hill at 5pm. The flock had split slightly with two birds currently on the summit and the other seven in the immediate vicinity.

Info thanks to Ivan Ellison

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

All nine Dotterel now approximately 10 metres south of the southern edge of the summit of Brown Wardle Hill.

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Dotterel still present this morning. Same location/coordinates as yesterday.

Info thanks to Iain Johnson

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

Thanks for Posting Ian. I agree that the Dotterel were inside GM. Simon and I flushed them accidentally as we were walking up the side of Brown Wardle. The birds were only approx. 30 metres away and flew a short distance, calling, and then began feeding again on the closely cropped turf.

We were joined by Dave Ousey (who was disappointed that they weren't in Rossendale

) and watched the Dotterel feeding until approx. 17:30 hrs. The south facing hillside was still exposed to the strong easterly and at times the birds sat down, presumably to get out of the wind. It's incredible how they blend in to the landscape when sat down. They appeared to be 6 brightly coloured females and 3 duller males.

Simon took quite a few photos but digiscoping in the strong wind was testing to say the least.

It's amazing that the same number of birds has turned up in the same location two years running. Almost certainly brought down by the strong easterly wind that has been blowing non stop for the past four days.

Dave checked the area out last weekend and I also had a quick recce on Saturday evening but possibly overlooked them. There is a good chance they will hang around as long as this wind continues blowing.

Steve & Simon

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

I've just checked and the Dotterel are currently (at their current coordinates) easily inside our county boundary

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

9 Dotterel on Brown Wardle Hill at 3:45 today (same location as last May). Grid reference is SD897182 and I make that as being inside Greater Manchester

Info thanks to Simon Hitchen and Steve Atkins

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

The remaining warblers arrived here over the weekend no doubt taking advantage of the extended period of fine weather to complete their migration.

Thursday 21st April the first Whitethroat was singing close to where breeding was confirmed in 2009 but also spending a lot of time feeding

Friday 22nd April:
A Grasshopper Warbler was reeling at the top of the Shore path.
A Sedge Warbler was feeding in the hawthorn hedge by the club house and singing intermittently. The need to refuel after its long journey appeared to be its main concern.

Sunday 24th April
The first Common Sandpiper of the year was displaying along the west shoreline.

House Martins are back on my street in Wardle. A pair have already reoccupied the nest under my eaves (first built in 2004) and were heard chattering to each other early on Sunday morning.

Steve

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

A superb spring morning at Watergrove 08:00 10:00hrs

19 Willow Warblers singing in the plantations there has clearly been a major influx overnight and much earlier than usual with just 6 on 9th April 2009. Back in the 1990s the highest count here was 11 birds on 27th April 1997.

A Blackcap singing in the Willow just outside the hide is the earliest ever recorded here. For some strange reason they dont usually arrive until the 3rd week of May.

As I was walking away from the hide a Yellow Wagtail called as it flew over. I managed to relocate it (a stunning male) bathing in a puddle on the cobbled road next to the resr. A pity I didnt have a camera. Yellow Wags are pretty rare in Rochdale although a pair did breed last year in the Heywood area.

3 Greylag Geese on the resr (probably on an away day from Hollingworth Lake)

Skylark 7 singing
3 Swallows hawking over Trap Farm car park (the 1st here was on the 7th).
Linnet
Lesser Redpoll 5
Goldcrest 1 singing
Great Crested Grebe a pair
Fieldfare 6
Wheatear a pair

David Mellalieu · Status: Offline

Friday 8th April
Early morning mist cleared to a still and sunny day

Willow Warblers in abundance
1 kestrel
goldfinch
chiffchaff calling near the clubhouse
many skylarks singing
meadow pipits up the cobbled road
two redpoll
Jay and Whitethroat on the far side of the lake

unusually nothing at all on the lake

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

Sunday 3rd April.
Early a.m.
Carrion Crow sitting on nest (ON)
Lesser Redpoll
Tufted Duck - 7
A Brambling heard calling from Ramsden Rd plantation but I was unable to locate it.
Teal - a pair feeding on pools by the hide
Reed Bunting - 1 male

Later on a walk along the Hades trail to the top of the valley and back the following were seen:
Skylark - 20 (16 singing)
Wheatear 9 - Most of these birds will be moving through but a a male in fresh sping plumage was singing and fanning its tail clearly establishing a territory.
Meadow Pipit - 26 some parachuting
Wood Pigeon sitting on nest low down in a Larch (ON)
A chiffchaff was singing near the windsurfers' club house.

It was surprising not to see or hear any Curlew,

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Sunday 3rd of April 2011 06:56:46 PM

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

David Mellalieu wrote:
Since the last post was 26th Feb.

Very quiet on a cloudy day at Watergrove.

Chiffchaff
Chaffinch
Goldfinch
Skylarks in abundance
Blue and Great Tits
Tufted Duck M&F
Wren

On the notice board in the hide recent sightings (not by Roy and me)

Wheatear (26th)
Waxwings, Treecreeper, Oystercatchers and Curlews

Hi David,

I have been rather busy of late with Atlas work and not had time to post. Although had there been anything out of the ordinary it would have been on this thread.

The Waxwings are not a recent sighting. See the post from 3rd Jan. I did originally put a date against them on the board but some member of the local intelligentsia thinks its a laugh to rub out the sightings

First Sand Martin of the year was seen on 24th March, a Chiffchaff singing on 27th and a pair of Wheatear on 28th.

Steve

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Wednesday 30th of March 2011 07:59:57 PM

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

It looks like things are starting to pick up.

4 Teal on the resr at 08:45 hrs presumably migrants.
Skylark 2 singing and 1 flying north
5 Curlew flew north 1 giving display call

4 Wigeon (3m & 1f) flew in at 10:30 hrs and were resting on the water over the west side. They probably wont hang around for long as a windsurfer was setting up when I left.

Still no sign of any Snipe none seen this year since the big freeze.

Yesterday evening an Oystercatcher standing on the dam wall allowed me to approach to within 30 yds.

Steve A.

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Saturday 26th of February 2011 11:36:11 AM

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

The cold weather has certainly brought the ducks in - with most of the resr still ice free.
13 Pochard (10 males) were great to see, especially as this is the highest count here for this species since Oct 1991 when the same number was recorded. At first roosting with their heads tucked in, they then began swimming around at high speed. Obviously feeling the cold as well

Goldeneye - 2 f./imm.
Goosander - 5
Tufted Duck - 3
Snipe - 1
Common Gull - 50 roosting on the ice with c.35 Black-headed Gulls

A Woodcock gave good views as it flew low between the trees in the plantation on the west side near the bridleway.

Siskin - 16
Bullfinch -2
Meadow Pipit - a solitary bird on the snow covered moors.

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

1.5 miles down the road in Wardle it was minus 10 C at 7 a.m. today with the temperature climbing to a balmy minus 3 C by the afternoon.
Amazingly 80% of the resr is still unfrozen - being the largest and deepest resr in Rochdale it is the last to freeze over.
18 Goosander looked like they were going to roost overnight, not surprisingly as just about every other still water body in the borough must be frozen. Certainly all the resrs along the Pennine Way were last Sunday and Hollingworth Lake was today. In the winter of 1996/97 during a similar big freeze the site maximum of 76 Goosander was recorded on 24th Jan.

Despite the conditions there were a few other birds about:
Wren - 2
Goldcrest
Siskin - 2
Reed Bunting
Pheasant

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

An adult Whooper Swan on the resr this a.m. probably brought down by the thick overnight fog. It was calling loudly and head bobbing before taking off and flying west.

Otherwise very little to count for WeBS.
Snipe - 1
Mallard - 5

Goldcrest - 2

A Treecreeper was seen yesterday near the hide by John. Quite rare here but not as rare as the bird down the road. Let's hope it wasn't a Short-toed

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

A female Pochard roosting by the submerged spit out from the windsurfers' club house this evening, not only my first of the year in Rochdale but the first here since Dec 2007.

Teal - 5
Snipe - 4 flew off at dusk from the pool by the hide
Bullfinch -3
Goldcrest -1
Cormorant -2

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

2 immature Dunlin feeding on the hide spit at 13:15 hrs probably brought down by the rain.

Monday 25th Oct - 3 + Brambling flew south calling 07:30 - 08:00 hrs

Saturday 30th Oct - a Brambling calling from trees by fisherman's car park

Steve Bostock · Status: Offline

sun 31st oct 11.00

2 snipe on pond banking in front of hide.

Mike Cooper · Status: Offline

Wed 27/10 10:00 - 14:00 Sunny, cloudy spells, strong SW breeze. Lovely autumnal walk

B hd Gull c. 70
C Gull c. 20 (incl 4 imm)
L Bb Gull 3 (ad)
Teal 4 (MFMF)
Cormorant 1
Mallard 3 (+ 7 various hybrid dometics)
C Goose 27

L Redpoll 4
Chaffinch c 20
Goldfinch c 12
Bullfinch 2+
Fieldfare 40 landed S of car park + flock of c 100 N over moor and circling into trees to W
Mipits 6
R Bunting 1
Kestrel MF methodically hunting over patures to N of Res to moorland edge

Steve Bostock · Status: Offline

sat afternoon 23rd oct

sparrowhawk
1 goldcrest in conifers on west bank

-- Edited by stevebozzy on Sunday 24th of October 2010 09:37:47 AM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 24th of October 2010 03:22:41 PM

Dave Ousey · Status: Offline

During the past 2 days a very large number of thrushes have passed through the Watergove side of Brown Wardle.They are, in the main Fieldfare,a few Redwing were also with them.In one flock alone I counted 150 birds, quickly followed by smaller flocks of 50,80 and 30 birds.None of the flocks landed to feed.

Simon Hitchen · Status: Offline

4 Whooper Swans (3 ads, 1 imm) this morning - flew off NW at 1245 when spooked by a windsurfer.

Also 220+ Fieldfare, 20+ Redwing, 10 Siskin, 1 Raven, 6 Bullfinch

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

A ring tail Hen Harrier was hunting low over the juncus at 13:15 hrs, on the west side of the valley, to the south of Brown Wardle. It was in view for about 5 mins and then disappeared, possibly going to ground in the Juncus.

Simon Hitchen · Status: Offline

Yes there were at least 3 Ring Ouzels in the north-west corner of the res'r around the Higher Slack Brook area - I was first alerted by the characteristic hard takking alarm call to the presence of a first winter male and then had 2 birds in flight before getting excellent views of an adult male and a female in the trees at the edge of the moorland here.

Also 1 Cormorant 1 Kestrel 20+ Redwings 1 Green Woodpecker 4 Siskins over and 2 Lesser Redpoll

Ian McKerchar · Status: Offline

Three Ring Ouzels at Watergrove Reservoir around 1pm today.

Info thanks to Simon Hitchen

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

The last thing I was expecting to see this morning was a Common Swift which came flying in from the south near Million Tree Wood

at 08:35 hrs. The bird passed within 50 yds at tree top height giving me a clear view of the uniformly dark upper and underparts (except for pale throat patch) ruling out the possibility of Pallid Swift

It headed north over the compensation lagoon, then turned heading back south over the resr.
30 + Redwing flew south (the first of the autumn here).

Saturday 9th Oct - some movement of Siskins with 6 + 10 north a.m. and 3 north p.m.
male Stonechat on castellated wall at top of Shore path.

Friday 8th Oct - the male Mandarin is now back in full plumage and looking splendid. It has been seen regularly since last August. Normally on the north shoreline by the path to the hide, it was on the hide pools.

Wed 6th Oct - 2 eclipse male Wigeon.

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Sunday 10th of October 2010 04:52:21 PM

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

A f./imm. Pintail close into the east shore at 06:40 hrs. Luckily I arrived early, as within a few minutes of seeing the bird, 2 fishermen arrive and flushed it.

Also seen this a.m.
Sparrowhawk
Cormorant
5 Linnets

This evening the first Wigeon of the autumn here, a solitary male, still in eclipse, keeping the Canada Geese company.
39 Lapwings on north shoreline

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

A Shelduck roosting on the island in the middle of the resr this evening. The first of the year here.
Also 3 Cormorants.

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

Steve Atkins wrote:

What it doesn't say is who counted the other 999,000.

999,999 surely

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

Mark,

You're not the only person to ask this question! None other than messrs McKerchar and Woosey, on a visit to Watergrove a couple of years ago (I think they were trying to sneak some tournament points off me, but I intercepted them in the car park before they'd had the chance to raise their bins

) were wondering where the name came from. "Surely there's not a million trees in that wood" or something along those lines.

You may not remember the Great Storm that hit mainly the south of England in 1987. It caused a massive amount of damage and uprooted many trees. A campaign was launched to replace the lost trees.

To quote from Watergrove - A History of the Valley & Its Drowned Village
...on 6 March (1991) the Million Tree Wood was established. On that day BCTV's three-year campaign involving 65,000 people to plant one million trees, to replace those destroyed during the great storm of 1987 came to fruition. And Watergrove was chosen as the site where BTCV's vice-president ........Professor David Bellamy, would plant the 1,000,000th tree.

What it doesn't say is who counted the other 999,000.

A Spotted Flycatcher this a.m. on edge of pine plantation at top end of res, NW corner.

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Saturday 28th of August 2010 06:49:54 PM

Mark Rigby · Status: Offline

Steve Atkins wrote:

Green Woodpecker flew into Million Tree Wood

And who counted all these tree's? Or is somebody exaggerating somewhat!

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

2 Spotted Flycatchers at 07:00 hrs hawking from Willows by path to hide.

33 Lapwings on nature reserve spit.

Green Woodpecker flew into Million Tree Wood below the car park.

On Sunday 22nd Aug the first sighting of Kingfisher here since the 8th Jan. The bird was on the pool by the hide and seen again on 25th.
It was really pleasing to see this bird, as I thought they had all been wiped out on the east (upland) side of Rochdale by the big freeze last winter.

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

The first Spotted Flycatcher of the autumn this a.m. was perched in a Hawthorn next to the stream flowing into the small bay on the west side of the resr.
Eclipse male Mandarin feeding on the north shore.
Teal -7 in same area.
Goldcrest - 2
Swallow - c.20
Goldfinch c.30
Green Woodpecker heard calling

Friday early a.m. (20/08) - Sedge Warbler feeding 3 juvs. A 2nd brood but seems very late for this species.

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

Migration continues!

2 Tree Pipits flew low over head calling early a.m., but heading north

A site rarity, Little Grebe

on the resr, last recorded here in 2006! I remember it well, as I brought Dave Winnard up to see it, and whilst scanning the resr he picked up 2 adult Little Gulls in breeding plumage hawking over the water. Slightly rarer than Little Grebe here.

Green Woodpecker
Goldcrest calling form plantations
4 Teal
Eclipse male Mandarin
Lapwing -22
Sedge Warbler

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

A few migrants moving through today:

2 Teal on the resr early a.m. and a Sedge Warbler carrying food for its 2nd brood of the season.

This evening a Whinchat on the moors near Steward Barn. Incredibly the first I've seen here since 2003. This species used to breed here up until 1998. I remember listening to a male singing here in June that year. Not a sound I've heard since in the Rochdale area.

Also a Tree Pipit heard calling several times from the trees in the windsurfers' car park, and finally showing itself as it took flight south over the reservoir.

Steve Atkins · Status: Offline

2 Greenshank here this evening were calling and circling low over north shore near windsurfers' club house. They circled the pool by the hide and then flew off north over the moors.

Only the 4th record here and the first since 2008.

2 Curlew flew over yesterday evening, heading south-west. It's fairly unusual to see Curlew here in August, as they normally leave the moors by mid July.