Theres been a Great White Egret reported from Blackleach today. Bird was sat in a tree.

Still a couple pair of Common Terns with well grown young on the nesting rafts.The adults bringing small fish in to feed the young. Other that that just a few Tufted Duck,Coot and a couple of Great Crested Grebe out on the water with the masses of Canada Geese,Mute Swan and Mallards. Several Chiffchaff and a Blackcap still singing and at least 6 House Martin and a single Swift feeding high above the trees.

Unusual an adult Mediterranean Gull was on the water near the back of the Reservoir, it then flew to the west at around 10.00am.   

21 Common Tern counted today, 10 or 11 pairs. All Seven rafts being used.  

Little Egret flying over the Reservoir at 10.20am heading South-West.  

Cettis warbler, Whitethroat, Reed bunting, Grasshopper warbler, Buzzard, Tree sparrow

-- Edited by Kevin Forde on Wednesday 1st of May 2024 08:15:42 AM

-- Edited by Kevin Forde on Wednesday 1st of May 2024 08:19:54 AM

Whinchat in the allotments. Also 24 Mute Swan. Six Common Tern are back.  Two of the rafts have had to be repaired, one is now back on the water, the other one should be back on next week. But they can nest 2 or 3 pairs to a raft, ten pairs bred last year and only five rafts were used.    

I had some business in Swinton so I called in here on my way from Yorkshire. Birds seen were as follows.
Herring Gull x1
Woodpigeon x4
Starling x4
Mallard x10
Blackbird x4
Carrion Crow x2
Magpie x3
Canada Goose x8
Mute Swan x6
Tufted Duck x6
Lesser Black Backed Gull x2
Sparrowhawk x1
Feral Pigeon x4
Common Buzzard x1
Shoveler x2
Robin x4
Common Tern x2
Great Black Backed Gull x1

Female Brambling feeding on the ground with a Chaffinch in the Woods under the Reservoir dam. Willow Warbler singing behind reservoir and 23 Mute Swan  some people going on with bags of bread for them , not a good idea.   

Water Rail showing well on ice 20/01/2024

1 Water Rail in reeds near visitor centre 

One Raven on Linnyshaw Moss at 1230pm and one cronking low overhead at 4pm, in a similar area.

 

 

Spotted Flycatcher with a flock of Long tailed Tits in the Nature Reserve, also in the flock were 2 Juvenile Goldcrest, 2 Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Nuthatch and Treecreeper. + 3 Shoveler on the Reservoir.

18 Common Tern , some are two pair to a raft and some sat on eggs. Garden Warbler singing in the wood on Linnyshaw Moss and a Pheasant calling.

1 Common Term

1 Reed Bunting

Good number of Swallow and Sand Martin over the water 

Little Gull flew through at 10.15am, heading West.

A Water Rail in reeds under the wall on Visitor Centre side of Reservoir. Showed quite well and was calling a lot. Shoveler numbers which reached 46 in January, down to 9.

Redstart in the nature reserve just behind the second ponds.

Red Kite over Blackleach Reservoir moving slowly to the East toward Clifton, at 10 50a.m..

Willow Tit fledglings around Linnyshaw Garden centre area was a nice sight to see. Hopefully they were from the adults that came to the garden feeders over winter.

Common Tern on one of the rafts this morning.

Peregrine Falcon on pylon on Linnyshaw Moss, looked like a one year old female, going off plumage and size. Also 2 Skylarks, 3 Linnets and 35 Chaffinch feeding on the ground. On the Reservoir were 16 Shoveler and a drake Wigeon. There were also 7 Gadwall on the flooded part of the allotments.

Woodcock flew up just 3 feet in front of me on the loop line by the Reservoir, it flew into the Nature Reserve. Two adult Great Black backed Gulls landed on the water with an Herring Gull. 14 Shoveler, 10 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe and 27 Mute Swans.

Walk from Linnyshaw garden centre to the reservoir and back.

Of note:

2x singing Willow Tits

2 flocks of Siskin, one containing around 20 and the other 10

1 Greenfinch calling

Bullfinch pair

2x Song Thrush singing

1 Goldcrest 

Sparrowhawk over 

On the reservoir was 5 Gadwalls, a great crested grebe, around 8 cormorants plus usuals.

I saw a post on Facebook that a swan had died of suspected bird flu at Blackleach. There are around 30 swans on the reservoir now so hopefully this does not spread to the others.