North Lake 100% frozen. Main Lake 95% frozen making counting easy. Wildfowl numbers greatly reduced.

Coot 33
Moorhen 16
Goosander 2f
Canada Goose 8
Mute Swan 6
Little Grebe 5
Mallard 44
Black-headed Gull 31

Cheers, John

Another of the young Swans is in trouble, this time from fishing line. It appears to be hooked, with line hanging from its bill, and was repeatedly shaking its head whilst trying to free itself.

8 Wigeon
4 Little Grebes
169 Canada Goose
1 Barnacle Goose (the regular feral bird was flying round with the Canada Geese)

Cheers John

John Rayner wrote:

---

One of the 1st w. Mute Swans has been detached from the family group for some days now and looked ill today. It was closing its eyes with bill open and it was an obvious effort to keep its head erect. (see attached)

Other water birds included Goosander (3m, 1f on North Lake), the long staying Wigeon flock (10), the female Gadwall and at least 3 Little Grebes. Elsewhere 1 Stock Dove.

Cheers John



-- Edited by John Rayner on Wednesday 20th of December 2017 04:18:12 PM

---

I have reported this to the RSPCA. (Thanks for the contact number Paul).

Cheers, John

5 pairs of wigeon, 1 gadwall, 7 little grebe, 4 tufted duck, 1 stock dove (plus 1 heard), flock of 40-45 finches made up of siskins and goldfinches (could not sort out ratio), 2 female goosander on river bank, buzzard.

7th December:

Goosander 2 (m, f)
Wigeon 12
Tufted Duck 5 (3m, 2f)
Gadwall 1f
Little Grebe 2
Coot 132
Canada Goose 109
Grey Heron 2
Stock Dove 2
Goldcrest 1

Cheers John

Main Lake 1/2 frozen making counting easier:

Coot 147 ( a record for the site I think)
Moorhen 34
Wigeon 7
Mallard 59
Mute Swan 7
Little Grebe 3
Canada Goose 9 (main flock missing)
Cormorant 1
Black-headed Gull 16
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Goldcrest 1

North Lake:
Stock Dove 1
Canada Goose 3
Mallard 2
Goosander 1m
Grey Heron 2

Cheers, John


PS David, Did you press the 'attach file(s)' button under the window where you wrote your post? Press attach file, browse PC, select photo and press insert.

Mute Swan 8 (usual 7 seeing off an adult intruder)
Little Grebe 2
Wigeon 11
Cormorant 4
Grey Heron 3
Stock Dove 3
Mistle Thrush 2 (both singing)

Cheers John

Coot 126
Wigeon 7
Little Grebe 6
Buzzard
Goosander 2m, 1f on North Lake

Cheers John





-- Edited by John Rayner on Thursday 23rd of November 2017 03:49:40 PM

Thurs 16th Nov. Some noteable increases.

Mute Swan 8 (The usual family of 2ad, 5 1st w. Plus another 1st w. by the river in the field oppisite North Lake)
Wigeon 12 (4m, 8f)
Little Grebe 6
Canada Goose 59
Cormorant 6
Buzzard 2
Grey Heron 1

Cheers John

Goosander 9 (3m, 5f North Lake, 1f on river)
Coot 122
Moorhen 18
Little Grebe 1
Mute Swan 7
Wigeon 4
Shoveler 1f
Siskin 2

Checked out a couple of Hornbeams near Strawberry Hill but very little fruit.

Cheers, John

08.00-09.30

Ludworth Moor turned out to be fogbound so back to Roman Lakes where 5 Wigeon was the best I could do.

Cheers John

Quick visit to see what Ophelia had stirred up. Answer was an influx of Coot...

Coot 126
Little Grebes 2
Wigeon 5
All 7 Mute Swan family party together again

Cheers John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Tuesday 17th of October 2017 09:35:10 PM

Late WeBS count:

North Lake:
Little Grebe 1
Mallard 2
Canada Goose 36
Grey Heron 1

Main Lake:
Shoveler 1 female (Thanks David, such is the paucity of Stockport waters that I don't record this every year)
Wigeon 2m, 3f
Coot 84
Moorhen 17
Mallard 75
Canada Goose 49
Mute Swan 2ads, 5 juvs
Cormorant 8
Grey Heron 1

Cheers John

Now 5 Wigeon
7 Mute Swans still

2 (unringed) Dippers on River Goyt. Lots of song and wing fluttering display.

Cheers, John

Coot 87
Mute Swan 2 ad, 5 juv
Little Grebe 2 1 ad, 1 fem/juv
Cormorant 1
Kingfisher 1 juv
No sign of Great Crested Grebes

Cheers John

Late news 3rd August.

Mute Swan 2ads, 5 juvs
Great Crested Grebe 2ads, 4 juvs
Mandarin Duck 2
Little Grebe 2
Kingfisher 1
House Martin c20
Swift 3

Something strange going on with the Mute Swans as the male now has no Darvic ring (It should be 'Green CCT4'). Is it unusual for these Darvics to be lost? I could read the metal ring, which is W34049. Could someone (Steve?) please confirm that this is the same individual?

Cheers John

-- Edited by John Rayner on Friday 4th of August 2017 09:59:09 AM

Hi John,

1044333 was ringed as an adult at Etherow on 10/11/2013. It was the one accompanying the breeding pair of mute swans. Did you sight it at Roman Lakes?

Many thanks,

Steve 

7pm - 9pm yesterday.

Linnet Clough - Roman lakes - Mellor golf course

Birds seen and heard amongst the usual common species:

Chiffchaff

Willow warbler

Blackcap

Buzzard

Hobby (seen from along path between Linnet Clough and Roman lakes)

On the main lake:

Coot

Moorhen

Pair of Swans with 5 cygnets

Great Crested grebe

100+ Canada geese on surrounding fields

Golf course:

Great Spotted woodpecker

Cheers, Steve.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Wednesday 24th of May 2017 02:13:12 PM

Roman bridge through to Roman lakes, around 3 to 4pm. In addition to the usuals:
Blackcap (m)
Grey wagtail
3 dippers
15+ housemartins
First swifts of the year
Buzzard
Pair of great crested grebe nest building
Hobby, again first of the year
Common sandpiper - first time we've seen one here

Main Lake - Windybottom Farm

Willow Warbler 1 (my first of the year)
Chiffchaff 9
Blackcap 2
Goldfinch c25

Mute Swan 5 (The 3 1st summers hanging on despite a battering from the male. Female sitting on 5 eggs)
Tufted Duck 2
Teal 1
Goosander 1 (on river)
Great Crested Grebe 1

Dipper and Grey Wagtail (on river)
Green Woodpecker (heard)
Stock Dove (3 singing)

Cheers John

14th and 15th March.

Adult Mute Swans aggressively trying to drive last year's 3 offspring from the water. Brutal!
Gadwall 2m
Tufted Duck pair
Great Crested Grebe 1
Little Grebe 2
Cormorant 3
Treecreeper 3
Nuthatch 1
Lesser Redpoll 1

Cheers John

5th February:

Goosander 2m, 2f
Wigeon 1m
Tufted Duck 2m, 1f
Mute Swans 5
Little Grebe 3
Siskin c20
Lesser Redpoll 3

Cheers John

Woodcock 1
Wigeon 2m
Little Grebe 3
Mute Swan 5
Tufted Duck 1m
Goosander 2m, 2f
Cormorant 3
Stock Dove 2 (in song)
Song Thrush 1 (in song)
Jay 2
Great Spotted Woodpecker 2

Cheers John

11th December:
Mute Swans 6. A 3rd adult landed mid morning and the resident adults aggressively chased it off the water and onto the bank. Also 3 1st winters still.
Goosander 4m, 1f
Wigeon 1m
Little Grebe 2
Redwings c40

Cheers John