2 Short-eared Owl hunting around the reservoir - one showed very well - even got some shots with my little compact!
Green Woodpecker flying over into Deeply Vale 6 Rook on the Eastern side 71 Lapwing 26 Herring Gull - quick visit before departing 1 GBBGull 2 LBBGull 80 BHGull 20 Common Gull 2 Kestrel 2 Wren
This lunch time 12:15 - 13:45 C Gull 8 Bhd Gull 20 G C Grebe 1 Goosander 1 m + 2 F Kestrel 1 m
Short eared Owl on post by Barn conversion then flew across res just past me and then 20 mins quartering below embankment in winter sunshine views down to 30 m - superb
Hi Mike, I was the guy you spoke to up there today about the Short Eared Owl we spotted. Thanks for the view of the Wigeon, and cheers for the heads up on this site...speak soon.
Sun 8/2 15:45 - 17:00 REs 70% frozen - light snow turning heavier Goosander 22 (10 m + 12 f) G C Grebe 1 Wigeon 1 m Short eared Owl quatering over grasses/rushed just below embankment GBbGull 1 Bhd Gull c 80 C Gull c 30 Falcon sp (small ? dark diving / gliding into valley - poor light probably Kestrel)
yea roughly that area, though mobile from the junction of Ashworth road and Edenfield and then on the moors up to Knowl Hill - didnt see any today but was very windy.
101 Canada Geese in field to the south +1 on the Res and the Pink-footed Goose still looking as wild as the weather up there
1 Green Woodpecker flying from east and then down into Deeply Vale 16 Goosander (8m,8f) 2 Mallard 8 Great Black-backed Gull (1 dead in field) 300 Black-headed Gull 150 Common Gull 1 Kestrel 6 Carrion Crow
2 Raven 18 Lapwing 9 Goosander 1 Great Crested Grebe 1 Kestrel 1 Reed Bunting 30 Herring Gull 8 Great Black-backed Gull 200+ Common Gull 150+ Black-headed Gull 1 possible Caspian Gull (3rd Winter) have sent Ian a rarity form and look forward to the commitees comments. Certainly a bird that stood out!
Sorry to have dragged you back from Blackpool last night Dave. Although I'm sure you'll agree it was worth making the journey. It wasn't my intention to take points off you on your local patch, honest! I shall try my best to avoid a repeat performance, although now I know that you don't go up there on a Sunday evening .... It's been a long wait for my second Rochdale Brent Goose, the first (dark-bellied I think) having been seen at Watergrove in February 1995.
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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
The pale-bellied Brent Goose still present, feeding on a small spit to the right of the layby near 'Owd Betts' pub.
Also: Mallard (2) Goosander (38) This flock, roosting on the stone bank at the back of the reservoir, went un-noticed for a while in poor early light. They departed in smaller groups between 07.10 - 07.20.
Back in Blackpool now - well done steve atkins! though now we are even for the Red Kite at Watergrove i found in 2006 - dont find rarities on my patch when im not around again!!! Was still present at 19:30. Not a bad 2 days at AMR!!! the 6 Mallard on there were the first mallard i have seen up there in september from my records - as rare as brent geese!
Sun 28th - a pale bellied Brent Goose present tonight on the Res, found by Steve Atkins at 5.45pm caused quite a stir amongst the Rochdale birders, still present till 7.20pm at least when I left. the sixth county record following the five at Elton this morning and twitched from Blackpool by a certain hardy Ashworth Moor regular
big open day for the wind turbines today, Edenfield Road & Ashworth Road were jammed with cars, the bird (what a bird!) was on the north shore - sadly some people from the open day decided to let the dog have a run around down there (the only day of the year the site has been disturped!). Headed strongly south, lost it behind Deeply Vale.