Flock of Siskin hanging around, 2 pochard, male Sparrowhawk which dropped in to have a look at the feeders.

9.00-10.00

Budworth Mere

14 Great Crested Grebes, 2 drake Pochard, 3 Great Black Backed Gulls, 4 Shelduck plus the usual waterfowl and gulls.

18 Curlew and 160 Lapwings on the pasture on the North bank.

Hi Graham, l was sat with you when the Sparrowhawk got his lunch

Simon and l had a walk around too..the woodland hide turned up four Nuthatch, plenty of Tits and Chaffinch and there was a Stock Dove too. We also had Tree Creeper on our walk, Jays, Redwing, Mistle Thrush,heard Goldcrest.

We saw one Red Admiral too.

The park (expectedly) was very busy of dog walkers and children on bikes and scooters...l'm guessing the land opposite the Mere is private ? There were two imbeciles shooting at the ducks
Note to the wise, if it's a chilly day, bring your own flask. We bought two hot chocolates and a cake each...£8 +

2 redhead Goosander on Budworth Mere today, this morning at least, no news yet to me this afternoon. The finder reports that at least one was either a male moulting out of eclipse or a first winter male. There was also a Bar-headed Goose amongst the Canada Geese at Kid Brook, just for completeness of reports, despite its captive origins!

A quiet spell at the moment but the highlight was a breif visit by 3 Scaup on Oct 9th, an eclipse male, female and juvenile. They were found late afternoon but unfortunately flew off in the direction of Neumann's Flash but were never relocated. Yesterday there were 24 Wigeon on the mere too and 3 Redshank on Kid Brook Spit.

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Thursday 11th of October 2012 10:01:58 AM

One of the Common Terns seen by Graham is our very own 'Junior', the first Common Tern ever to fledge on the 'Patch'. It's a feisty young thing too, seeing allcomers off its favourite buoy by divebombing, never mind what size or shape they are!!

Glad you knew about the Mandarin, John, but it was a very hard bird to locate. It hasnt been seen for 3 days now, Sid, but could stil be around, although the bird may have returned to a local breeding site that I know of (kept quiet for obvious reasons!).

Nothing much today but a report on our grapevine of 3 Hobbies chasing House Martins in Comberbach on the edge of the Marbury CP area.

No worries, I was chatting to a birder at Neumanns and he told me about the Mandarin. I can usually find them on Trentabank anyway, although I've not been up there this year.

It's just nice to see so many grebes together, I did'nt know you had a predation problem. A site in the north of the county seem to have resolved their Mink problem, but this is an emotive issue, some of

my friends think they're just cute little creatures and should be left alone. I wonder if they'd feel the same if Leopards were released in Tatton Park?.

18.00-19.00

Budworth Mere

2 adult + 1 juvenile Common Tern.

45 Great Crested Grebes + 2 half grown youngsters.

I've seen Mink at Marbury :(

3 Common Terns over Budworth Mere yesterday, but on the negative side I saw 2 Great-crested Grebe nests predated

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Thursday 21st of June 2012 08:53:10 PM

Hobby chasing Swifts over the mere this afternoon. Also Yellow Wagtail by Fishermans path and a Treecreepers nest in Big Wood

Rob Smallwood wrote:

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Doc Brewster wrote:

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Some of the terns had departed whan I arrived at 9am on the way to Focalpoint :)

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Why would terns go to Focalpoint - it's good but not really their sort of place? ;)

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lol, cos they got gud taste ;) maybe we should look out for the Cheshire/Gtr Manchester Cranes on patch now - after they departed Astley Moss in a SW direction today :)

Doc Brewster wrote:

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Some of the terns had departed whan I arrived at 9am on the way to Focalpoint :)

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Why would terns go to Focalpoint - it's good but not really their sort of place? ;)

Amazing afternoon on Patch, luckily I was there to see it unfold

I was on Neumann's Flash mound when 3 Arctic Terns flew straight through, sort of expected given numbers elsewhere today, but a tiny hint of what was to follow. We decided that Budworth Mere was a good bet so went to set off when I had a phonecall to say that about 50 terns and several Little Gulls were currently over the mere. On arriving I counted the terns present and G got aoround 130 terns at least & a colleague counted 21 Little Gulls. Some birds spiralled up & departed others seemed to be just arriving & dropping in. Soon we confirmed an earlier suspicion that despite the majority being Arctic Terns there was at least 1 (must have been more?) Common Tern, scoped at close quarters by 5 of us. The hirundine flock contained many Sand Martins, Swallows & House Martins still and earlier a Swift was seen over Budworth Mere.

I had to leave but have just taken a call from Mark Payne who had 27 Little Gulls through Neumann's Flash and then at least 40 Little Gulls on Budworth Mere still with the huge tern flock there!! Anything could happen this evening - we all wait with bated breath!!

3 Arctic Terns all day yesterday over Budworth Mere, favouring the Yacht Club end, in front of the Heronry. There at 5.30pm still, no news yet today.

First Willow Warbler of the year on 'Patch' today as several patchers were out & about. Also the 1st 2 House Martins amongst modest numbers of Sand Martins over Budworth Mere (always high up). The redhead Goosander that was seen last week was on the mere early morning but gone by 9am. Blackcaps & Chiffchaffs now everywhere!! 2 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers chasing in Big Wood.

Gentile couple of hours here on Sunday morning. No Lesser Spotted Woodpecker but my first sighting of a Chiffchaff this year, there were several caling, along with Nuthatch (on every tree). Treecreeper and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Reed Bunting all by the hide.
On the way back to my car, l counted four Buzzards and l had Peregrine flying over.
By the hide l watched a little Bank Vole scurrying around (very cute)..

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 26th of March 2012 10:50:54 PM

The first returning Little Ringed Plover was at Budworth Mere today, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sightings are up with probably at least 2 pairs being seen, one in the mereside alders & one on Marbury Lane. A summer plumaged Brambling has been seen this week and at least 1 Tawny Owl is still in the roost tree. The Tundra Bean Goose was seen again on Saturday :)

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Monday 19th of March 2012 03:41:16 PM

Not had any further reports of the Bean Goose - but all the feedback I have had is that the large Greylag flock, with which it & the 3 PfGeese were associating, has also been absent from the mere. this is pretty usual for this flock & it could turn back up at the mere any time - with or without the rarer cousins :)

Late news for in the week. On Thursday (whilst I was away) a patch mega in the shape of a Bean Goose was found by Mark Payne. The bird was with Greylags along with 3 Pink-footed Geese. At the larger end of the size scale and with a medium amount of orange on the bill the bird proved hard to assign to race. But from Marks photos, and referring to 2 extensive papers one Bean Goose ID, the bird appears to be a Tundra Bean Goose, albeit a large male bird.

I was down early doors on Friday with no luck, but at 8.45am I relocated the bird, still with Greylags & the 3 Pink-footed Geese on Kid Brook spit, viewed from the mereside path in Marbury CP. So far today I have had a couple of visitors into Focalpoint who say there is no sign of the bird there but there are only a handful of Greylags. This goose flock does roost & feed at a variety of locations so could return to Marbury CP at any time, worth keeping an eye out for :)

Budworth Mere

19th Feb

1 Black-tailed Godwit
13 Curlew
2 Pink-footed Geese
2 Oystercatcher
2 Shelduck
1 Chinese Goose

With Mr Barber this morning had really close up views of the female Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the Alders at the edge of the mere just past the boat house. We were told that this was the ringed female that has been in the park for a number of years.

Also on view 2 Tawny Owls in their roost tree.

Saturday 11th February 12.00-1.30pm

2 Tawny Owls in their usual roost spot.
26 Lesser Redpolls
1 Goldcrest
4 Bullfinches
3 Treecreepers
4 Nuthatch
6 Jays
2 Common Buzzard
Curlew heard from fields oppsite the lake.
Also heard a Woodpecker drumming.