Highlights from this mornings WeBS. 4 Great Crested Grebe, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 1 Common Tern and 2 Greylag. Also  3 Buzzard and 1 Garden Warbler.

Adult Mediterranean Gull during the morning WeBS count. Also good count of 141 Mallard and a singing Mistle Thrush.

0930-1345 06/03/21

 

24 Species - no counts as my daughter was using my phone to geo cache.

 

Canada Goose

Mallard

Great Crested Grebe

Wood Pigeon

Collard Dove

Moorhen

Black-Headed Gull

Lesser-Black Backed Gull

Buzzard

Magpie

Jackdaw

Carrion Crow

Willow Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long-Tailed Tit

Nuthatch

Treecreeper

Wren

Mistle Thrush

Blackbird

Dunnock

Robin

Chaffinch

 

Thanks

 

Bryan

Thought I would have a change of scenery for my morning walk, with the highlights being:

1 adult Mediterranean Gull in almost full plumage on the ice with 185 Black-headed and a few Common, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gull.

3 Goosander, 1 male Goldeneye, 2 Great Crested Grebe and a good count of 154 Mallard.

2 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel and 2 Raven.

Limited highlights of the WeBS count this morning:

4 Great Crested Grebe.

1 Common Tern.

1 Oystercatcher and 1 Lapwing.

1 Kingfisher.

2 Dipper and 2 Grey Wagtail below the dam.

Highlights from a late morning circuit:

1 Goldeneye.

1 Sparrowhawk- on checking, this was my first site record!

1 Raven.

Flock of 65 Redwing, with 2 Mistle Thrush and 1 Song Thrush.

7.30-8.30 am from the car park along the right hand side of reservoir and the feeder stream included 

pair of dipper, m & f goosander, cormorant, 2 moorhen

nuthatch, 2 treecreeper, 8 long tailed tit

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 7th of February 2020 11:09:36 PM

8-9am from the car park along the right hand side of the reservoir

Around 200 black headed gulls, 1 cormorant, numerous mallard, 2 moorhen, 10 Canada geese

2 Carrion crow, 6 Redwing, 6 Song thrush, 2 Blackbird, 8 robin, 4 wren, numerous blue and great tit

 

Modest highlights from a morning circuit:

2 Goosander, c40 Redwing and 8 Siskin.

4 Common Tern present this morning, my first of the year. Also 6 Great Crested Grebe and 1 Dipper.

Best from an afternoon circuit of the reservoir:

Dipper below the dam.

20 Fieldfare over.

2 Stock Dove.

3 good sized mixed tit flocks including at least 15 Long- tailed Tit and 2 Goldcrest.

This morning 7.20 to 9.20:

My first site record of Spotted  Flycatcher.

Only 8 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Cormorant and c60 Mallard on the reservoir.

Single Kingfisher and Dipper.

A couple of hours this morning around the reservoir

5 Great Crested Grebes, including one on a nest
2 Grey Herons
12 Canada Geese + the 5 goslings
Numerous Mallards
4 Moorhens
2 Coots
1 Black-headed Gull
1 Common Tern
Dozens of Swallows + a few House Martins
1 Pied Wagtail
Pair of Grey Wagtails
Pair of Dippers, taking food to their nest
Buzzard & Curlew flew over

Reservoir birds this morning included numerous Swallows & House Martins, 2 Sand Martins, + 3 Common Terns

All areas covered this morning.

4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
14 Canada Geese
4 Greylags
20+ Mallards
7 Moorhens
6 Black-headed Gulls
2 Lesser black-backed Gulls flying over
2 Common Terns
1 Swallow
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Dipper
1 Buzzard
2 Stock Doves
7 Lapwings
1 Curlew
1 Skylark
Pair of Reed Buntings
Single Lesser Redpolls around reservoir & farmland
+ all the usual residents

8.40am to 10.30am

4 Great Crested Grebes
4 Cormorants
33 Canada Geese & a pair of Greylags moving around the reservoir & farmland
20+ Mallards
5 Moorhens
Just a couple of Black-headed Gulls on the reservoir but 100+ on farmland
An Oystercatcher flew low across the reservoir
6 Lapwings & a Curlew on farmland
1 Buzzard

8am to 10.50am.

Reservoir :-
4 Great Crested Grebes
1 Cormorant
2 Greylags
13 Canada Geese
30+ Mallards
3 Goosanders (1m + 2f)
2 Moorhens
1 Black-headed Gull
2 Grey Wagtails, 1 Pied Wagtail
A Green Woodpecker called a few times from the railway side
1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard flying over
1 Blackcap + a few Chiffchaffs
A small flock of Lesser Redpolls in the tops of conifers near Grange Farm stables. Estimated 6-10 birds. Also had a couple in flight elsewhere.
Other finches present were Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches, & a Siskin

Farmland :-
1 Grey Heron, 5 Canada Geese, 1 Mallard, 1 Moorhen,
1 Lapwing, 2 Curlews, 70+ Black-headed Gulls,
A few Starlings mixed in with the Rooks, Jackdaws, & Carrion Crows
1 Meadow Pipit

Not much around the reservoir this morning, just some of the usual stuff, until a Redshank flew in. It flew around for a few minutes before heading off without landing anywhere.

I heard a Mediterranean Gull flying over the reservoir from the farm fields between Walsh Fold & Walshaw.
That tempted me to check all those fields. Birds included :-
Lots of Black-headed Gulls but no Mediterranean Gulls
Lots of Rooks, Jackdaws, & Carrion Crows
1 Lapwing
1 Curlew
1 Skylark
2 Meadow Pipits
Pair of Greylags
Pair of Buzzards soaring around together

7.40am to 10.10am

4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
2 pairs of Greylags
43 Canada Geese
A few Mallards, Moorhens, & Black-headed Gulls
Dippers in usual places, overflow pipes & weir at the top end
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Buzzard
1 Stock Dove
Tawny Owl calling at top of quarry again, this time being called back to by another Tawny
1 Curlew
2 small flocks of Siskins
1 Chiffchaff
2 Meadow Pipits
+ all the usual resident species

8.15am to 10.25am

2 Great Crested Grebes
8 Cormorants
2 pairs of Greylags (one pair on muck pile at Walsh Fold, the other pair on an adjoining field)
14 Canada Geese at Walsh Fold + 10 on the reservoir
30+ Mallards
As usual on a windy day most of the Moorhens were hidden away. Only 1 seen & 1 heard.
Only about half a dozen Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull
1 Buzzard
1 Dipper on the overflow pipes + 1 on the brook at the top end
1 Pied Wagtail

Late report for yesterday morning.

5 Great Crested Grebes
9 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
2 Greylags & 2 Canada Geese on the reservoir when I got there. The 2 Greylags flew up to Walsh Fold where I found them with another Greylag and 8 Canada Geese. 10 other Greylags flew over heading towards Hawkshaw before dropping down on to fields between Jumbles and Hawkshaw.
30+ Mallards
7 Moorhens
30+ Black-headed Gulls
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew through
Tawny Owl & Stock Doves calling from the top of the quarry at the top end
Grey Wagtail on the stream by Horrobin Lane, where it meets Chapeltown Road

9am to 10.15am.

Dozens of Redwings along Grange Road this morning, between Ousel Nest & Grange Farm
Some Siskins mixed in with the Redwings. Other Siskins were along the railway line hear the footbridge as I headed from Hillside Avenue to Grange Road, and a few were by the reservoir.

Reservoir birds included :-
Courtship display from a pair of Great Crested Grebes
A Dipper flew from the stream by Horrobin Lane, across the front of the benches by the car park, and up the brook towards Turton Bottoms
A pair of Goosanders below the quarry at the top end

8.10am to 10.35am.

When I got there a Greylag was on the fishing lodge by Horrobin car park with 8 Canada Geese. They all later flew onto the reservoir.
Total Canada Geese around the reservoir = 17
5 Great Crested Grebes
7 Cormorants
1 Grey Heron
c45 Mallards
Pair of Goosanders
10 Moorhens seen. The yatch club ones were wandering between the boats so I probably missed seeing some, so possibly more than 10 in total.
50+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Buzzard

Well over 50 Redwings along Grange Road, all the way along the road from Ousel Nest House to Grange Farm.

Same as my last couple of visits when I found a Dipper on the overflow pipes and a Moorhen on the brook at the bottom of the pipes.
A small flock of Siskins was nearby on Ousel Nest Meadow.

8.35am to 10.25am.

4 Great Crested Grebes
6 Cormorants
1 Canada Goose
50+ Mallards
Pair of Goosanders
10 Moorhens
20+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull

A Dipper was on the overflow pipes, and a Moorhen was on the brook just below.

Another Dipper was at the top end where the brook runs into the reservoir