An hour at the reservoir this afternoon on the north side.
2 separate adult Yellow-legged Gulls came in from the east and soon departed west, as did a steady stream of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. One of these was colour ringed ( N:A60) from the NW Gulls project.
A Common Scotor departed south just as I arrived at 1400.
-- Edited by rob archer on Monday 13th of July 2020 06:12:50 PM
3 Common Tern dropped in from high to the west this morning, rested briefly before moving on East. One was colour ringed though reading it may be difficult. Another first for me up here.
Little ringed Plover also flew over high heading south, Common Sandpiper on north side and the Snipe still singing by the windtower.
Info re the Lesser Black-backed Gull R8RY..it was ringed on the Ribble on 1st July 2006, seen twice in 2007 and hasn't been seen for 13 years .. until it turned up at AMR on 1st July 2020..
-- Edited by rob archer on Saturday 4th of July 2020 03:51:25 PM
Adult Yellow legged gull in and out from north Shore. Several sightings may involve 2 individuals as mirror spots on upper primaries smaller and less on later bird 1 Common scoter fem/imm B hd gull 7 juvs Herring gull 5 ads 3 imms
Curlew 2 on north shore briefly joined by a Whimbrel that flew off with a curlew Oystercatcher 2
Parties of swifts and sand martins feeding over res and embankment
Goldfinch charm of c 60 incl many juvs feeding on thistles in pasture below southern embankment Willow warbler singing from Ashworth house area
Also 5 Cormorants on remnants of island
-- Edited by Mike c cooper on Thursday 2nd of July 2020 07:00:39 PM
Adult Yellow-legged Gull present again amongst growing numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. 1st summer Common Gull also present along with around 20 Herring Gulls passing through.
One of the Lesser Black-backed Gulls was Black colour ringed with Yellow lettering (R8RY) but not able to track the project down just yet.
1 Common Scoter, 1 2nd summer Yellow legged Gull present from 3-30 until 4-20pm when it flew off towards Bury, 3 Cormorants, 25 Lesser Black Backed Gulls, 3 Herring Gulls, 14 Black Headed Gulls, 4 Mallards.
Dave Ousey.
1st July 2020
Yellow-legged Gull departed west at 1830 and 2 Great Black-backed Gulls also on the shrinking island ..Common Scotor still present and a Green Sandpiper and also a Common Sandpiper on the remaining mud by the inlet gully
-- Edited by rob archer on Tuesday 30th of June 2020 08:44:14 PM
An hour early evening with Dave Broome produced an adult Yellow Legged Gull in with about 30 large gulls. The Common Scoter was still present and actively feeding, also quite big thermal of Swifts drifted over,plus a few Sand Martins feeding over the res.
-- Edited by pete berry on Tuesday 30th of June 2020 07:43:38 PM
Adult Yellow Legged Gull looking settled on the island until a birder decided to walk along the waters edge to scan the island and flushed every bird on it!!!
Yellow-legged Gull still on the island late afternoon, along with a single Great Black-backed Gull which made a very brief visit. . Redshank flew west over the reservoir but did not stop and the Whitethroat still singing in Owd Betts car park
Adult Yellow Legged Gull on the island at lunchtime, also about 20 Lesser Black Backs and 2 Herring Gulls ,6 Goosander, 2 Oystercatchers and a couple of Comorants
An hour this evening sat on the north side.. Adult Yellow-legged Gull came in from high to the east and spent 45 minutes on the island before continuing west. c50 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and a couple of Herring Gulls also moved west across the reservoir.
12 Curlew and 4 Oystercatcher on the island first thing. Small group of Lesser Black-backed Gulls of which one was colour ringed (N:E36) from NW project
Brief look through the Gulls passing through late afternoon.
Yellow-legged Gull came in from the east with a small group of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. After a brief spell on the island all departed west after being flushed by a Peregrine heading towards Yates
2nd Summer Yellow-legged Gull flew in from the east with a couple of Lesser Black-backed Gulls early this morning. It rested briefly on the island before continuing west.
32 Goosander on the island 1st thing that all departed south .
A few large gulls passing through and resting on the island, one of which stood out to me but only managed a single photo before it departed west . Ian later confirmed it as showing many features of a Yellow-legged Gull.
Single Teal flew off south, pair of Great Crested Grebe flew in at 0630, 3 Dunlin . Common Sandpiper, Snipe still singing by the Windtower, Whitethroat and Willow Warbler in Owd Betts carpark and 5 Mistle Thrush below Ashworth View
Willow Warbler have bred below Ashworth View House and feeding young this morning on the north side of the reservoir. Whitethroat also still present here.
Steady trickle of mainly adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls moving across the reservoir mainly East to West, a couple of Herring Gulls and a single adult Great Black-backed Gull also amongst them.
2 Dunlin, 2 Ringed Plover, 2 Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher, Snipe, 3 Curlew and a single Lapwing on the island this morning.
2 Oystercatcher, 15 Lapwing, 2 Dunlin, 2 Curlew and 1 Common Sandpiper noted during an afternoon circuit. c50 Sand Martin with a few Swift and Swallow over the water. Flock of 145 carefully scrutinised Starling on the eastern slopes, and 2 Stonechat.
Came up mid morning to check starling flock for a rarer cousin but none here today! 150+ swifts feeding low over res with some swallows and sand martins 1 common sand on north shore Male stonechat on southern stone wall (second brood??) Tried between showers but got caught in hail at 11:30 home to dry off
The attached photograph was taken by PaulG a colleague of mine at 1630 hrs 4/06/2020, the Fieldfare was on the Lancashire (Rossendale) side of Cheesden Brook but only just so thought I would post it here as it is very unusual to see this species at this time of the year.
2 Oystercatcher, 2 Common Sandpiper, 16 Lapwing, 1 Curlew and 1 Dunlin this morning. Also a northward movement of Rook, with 35+ birds heading over between 7.15 and 8.15, 1 Buzzard, 1 Whitethroat and 3 flyover Lesser Redpoll sightings, probably 2 birds.
3 or 4 Dunlin at the reservoir first thing this morning. There may be a possibility some of these birds have been driven off the moors nearby. The high tops are totally baked and bone dry leaving little scope for Dunlin or Golden Plover up there.
3 Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Redshank, 2 Curlew, 2 Common Sandpiper and a single Ringed Plover over north.
Whitethroat still below Ashworth View along with 2 Willow Warbler. Blackcap singing at Two Owls and a Grasshopper Warbler in SW corner.
Wheatear and a Grey Wagtail by the overflow.
Cuckoo calling over at Wham ( Lancs)
Reasonable number of large gulls ( mainly Lesser Black-backed ) passing through heading west, one of which was colour ringed (N:R55) from a local project.