Hi Phil. Cheers, I can see now that eye colour & body are that of a Tufted. Like you though, from a distance, I thought a Scaup when I saw that much white on it! I've seen them before with white on, but it's better to make sure! I once found a rare bird on Burton Marsh, pretty much the Wirral & for a few reasons the news didn't get out until the next day & it was never relocated - so I've learnt my lesson & to get the news out ASAP!
I still had a great afternoon in Tatton Park though. 2 new year ticks in Treecreeper & Goldeneye which takes me to 107.
I thought I had a Scaup on Melchette Mere in the first photo. Then I saw a tuft in the second photo, maybe even the dark back says it's a Tufted Duck too. Back of camera photos for now, until I get time to sort them out!
hi Antony, you can quite often get these tufties with a quite significant white blaze. had one at Redesmere today which I had to give a second look at!
I thought I had a Scaup on Melchette Mere in the first photo. Then I saw a tuft in the second photo, maybe even the dark back says it's a Tufted Duck too. Back of camera photos for now, until I get time to sort them out!
What appeared to be a Black-bellied Whistling Duck on a log at Knutsford Moor NR at 11.30 today. It was dozing in the attached photo but had a red bill when it lifted its head.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 25th of July 2023 09:41:49 PM
As Winter passes to Spring at Tatton Park, I went for a very wet walk this afternoon. There were plenty of Goldeneye displaying on Tatton Mere as well as lots of Great Crested Grebe displaying and mating. Signs of Spring were seven Sand Martins feeding over the same mere. There were two Great in Spotted Woodpeckers by the Allen Hide as well as a Treecreeper. The Herons were being noisy setting up the heronry. There was one Buzzard circling overhead. There were Blue, Great, Coal and Long-tailed Tits as well as Siskin and a couple of Nuthatches.
Tatton Mere : c12 Great Crested Grebe c3 Goldeneye pr Gadwall 2m Mandarin (Knutsford end) 200+ Sand Martin feeding over the mere 1 Blackcap c3 Chiffchaff
Melchett Mere : 2 Great Crested Grebes c4 Greylag Geese 1 Willow Warbler 1 Blackcap
Ice Pond: 2 Egyptian Geese
Green and Great Spotted Woodpecker heard along with plenty of vocal Nuthatch and Coal Tits.
Not quite Tatton Park but I may as well put this here. There has been a Black Redstart in the vicinity of Booths Hall Farm, Booths Park on the eastern fringes of Knutsford for ten days or so. A two hour watch today from late morning gave a five seconds view as the bird disappeared around the last of the farm buildings. That was it.
The black necked grebe is still on Tatton mere. Today is was just a few feet from bankside and gave really confiding views and was not bothered by our presence at all. Was a very busy bird continually diving all the while. We spotted it on the side of the lake next to the main access road from the Knutsford entrance to the park. Also seen was a female goldeneye.
Anyone still wishing to see the juvenile Black-necked Grebe it was still showing well again this afternoon close in to the west bank of Tatton Mere; also 2 x Great Crested Grebes and 3 Little Grebes towards the north end of Tatton Mere
Sorry this report is a few hours late but I had to check with more experienced birder friends to confirm the ID of this bird which I thought was a Black-necked Grebe; it was seen on Tatton Mere yesterday late afternoon (22nd September). Centre section of Tatton mere main driveway side of the mere. I will include photos for you to ensure the ID is totally correct.
Didnt see the Egyptian Geese, but scoped the Mandarins.. Goldeneye on the mere, Siskins by the car park and best of all a flock of mixed Chaffinch and Brambling in the Beech Avenue today.
Cormorant - min.20 Egyptian Goose - pair displaying to each other and mating. Seen in flight too. Mandarin (Duck) 9 Wigeon 3 Pochard 9 Goldeneye 2 Raven 2/3
Called in here mid afternoon on our way back from the Fylde to add the Black Tern to our list for the day. The bird was showing well at the northern end of the main mere, constantly hawking among the collected gulls and waterfowl. Shame there wasn't a Whiskered Tern at Audy to finish off the day
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Sunday 23rd of September 2018 08:06:03 PM
Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
Both Kestrel and Buzzard just outside the park, on the way there. Short visit, concentrating on the area around Melchett Mere.
-1+ Green Woodpecker 1 seen but poss 2 separate calling birds - 3+ Coal Tit inc 1 singer - Nuthatch plus plenty of Blue & Great Tit on the feeders by the hide. - pr Mute Swan - 200+ Canada Goose - c 12 Wigeon - pr Pintail Small numbers of Mallard, Tufted Duck etc
Yesterday there were good numbers of Stock Dove - i'd say more than 25 - in the area of the stubble field on the other side of the stream between the Old Hall and the Mill Pond. Also c. 3 Greenfinch and 2 - 3 Yaffles. No thrushes at all, and apart from small flocks of Mipits, no real sign of autumn/winter passage. Very quiet. I suspect that today may have been a bit more vis miggy.
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
3 Green Woodpeckers, 3 Buzzards, 1 Kestrel and 3 Ravens.
Combined numbers of the following for Tatton and Melchett meres : 162 Tufted Ducks, 6 Pochard, 3 Little Grebes and 7 adult plus 5 juvenile Great Crested Grebes.
Lots of Black Headed Gulls throughout plus 6 Lesser Blacks and 1 Herring Gull.
Apparently a Black Kite was reported from the park on Friday, anyone know anything more?..
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
Disappointingly quiet yesterday afternoon, best bird being a Common Sandpiper along the shore of Dog Wood.
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
A steady though light passage of Siskins were vis-migging (and invis-migging) over the park heading east this afternoon, and 2 Redpoll also which were my first for quite a while. At least 2 Green Woodpecker heard, and Stock Dove seen. A Goldcrest was subsinging in that Millenium Wood near the Deer Park quite close to where i was standing. It imitated calling Chaffinch, Willow Warbler, Linnet and Dunnock, and when a small flock of Goldfinches landed nearby, all singing together, it started imitating them too. I don't think i've ever come across a Goldcrest using imitation before. A ringed female Stonechat was feeding on the bank along the west side of the Mere and was presumably a migrant.
-- Edited by Mike Duckham on Thursday 9th of March 2017 10:39:25 PM
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
A good day in Tatton Park today Pied Wagtail Crow Song Thrush Wood Pigeon Great Tit Blue Tit Magpie Chaffinch Brambling Robin Nuthatch Jay Treecreeper Great Spotted Woodpecker Coal Tit Green Woodpecker Raven Coot Cormorant Buzzard Canada Goose Great Crested Grebe Little Grebe Black-headed Gull Long-tailed Tit Goldfinch Meadow Pipit Starling Wren Pochard Goldeneye (a male displaying to two females) Swan Great Black-backed Gull Kestrel Heron Jackdaw
Two families of Spotted Flycatchers - one lot behind the Lodge house at the Rostherne entrance, and one family in the copse of Sweet Chestnuts on the left half way along the road from here to the house. Raven and Stock Doves also.
Edit - not the Beech Walk sorry, been a while since my last visit!
-- Edited by Mike Duckham on Monday 18th of July 2016 02:13:30 PM
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
Not quite Tatton Park, but Tatton Estates land nearby where I was helping Manchester University do an invertebrate survey due to water quality deterioration in this area. Several Grey Wagtails which landowners tell me are doing really well here, breeding on the main rivers and tributaries that eventually drain into the River Bollin & ultimately the River Mersey. Lots of Buzzards too, as expected in this area.
(Mostly in the rain, but at least the park was much less crowded)
The small pool near the mansion held a couple of feral Egyptian Geese and a single Grey Heron.
Melchett Mere
41 Pochard, 38 Tufted Ducks, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 2 Grey Herons
A flock of 12 Meadow Pipits around the swampy sedge area and 40 Starlings resting in a nearby tree.
Tatton Mere
21 Pochard, 185 Tufted Ducks (Similar numbers of Coot too), 12 Shoveler, 13 Little Grebes (Including a group of 7 that appeared to be fishing together, Cormorant style),
4 Great Crested Grebes and 18 Gadwall. A single female Kestrel hunted along the lake edge. No sign of any Goldeneye yet.
Dog Wood
3 Goldcrests with a group of Long Tailed Tits.
3 Buzzards flew above the park, and a flock of 8 Pied Wagtails were feeding amongst sheep on the short cropped turf.
2 Black Necked Grebes on Tatton Mere along the NW bank was a nice surprise. Green Woodpecker and Stock Dove were vocal.
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10
Surprised to be the first to mention these 2 gorgeous birds..
This morning following on from numerous reports, I decided to catch up with the 2 Black Necked Grebes, which are frequenting Knutsford Mere. What a fantastic way to start the working day, glorious sunshines, a bit of mist and these 2 diving continually for about 30 mins.
They are currently by the tree which stands alone in the water, although yesterday they were apparently further up towards far end ( I entered the park off King Street, Knutsford).
Other Birds of note: Green Woodpecker & Great Spotted Woodpecker (heard) Goldeneye 15-20 Tufted Ducks Mute Swans were extremely territorial this morning, and actual witnessed a fight in which the aggressor was seen off, quite impressive stuff.
On Melchett, 11 Shoveler. 6 - 10 Bramblings in with the Chaffinch flock along Beech Avenue. Following on from the Whoopers seen in flight at the end of Oct, there was apparently a flock of 11 (i think) on Melchett in Oct - info from the winter bird sightings poster in the "new" hide.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 24th of January 2015 07:21:09 PM
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Timperley life list c. 89 (ish). Barn Owl 4.11.19, Green Sand 27.8.19, Little Egret 13.2.19, ringtail harrier sp 20.10.18, Fawn Yawn 15.10.18, Grasshopper Warbler 15.4.16, Tree Pipit 13.4.16, Yellowhammer 5.4.15, Hobby May '11, Wigeon Dec '10