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4 adult and 5 very noisy and greedy juvenile Great Crested Grebes. They are now split into two groups, still being fed by their parents, but with bigger fish. At one stage one parent was unable to get a large fish down the throat of one of the young, and after several tries and a lot of messing with the fish, he/she gave it to another of the young which swallowed it no problem. Wonderful to watch. 2 Cormorants on reservoir + 2 flying over 2 Grey Herons 10 Canada Geese 61 Mallards 3 Moorhens 9 Black-headed Gulls 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 Feral Pigeons 13 Woodpigeons 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 Swallows 3 House Martins 1 Grey Wagtail 12 Wrens 16 Robins 6 Blackbirds 1 Chiffchaff Usual tit flocks 2 Nuthatches 1 Jay 5 Magpies 7 Jackdaws 5 Carrion Crows 14 Rooks 3 Chaffinches 14 Goldfinches 1 Greenfinch 15 Siskins. Not quite in the CP, seen and counted in flight from the railway footbridge between Hillside Avenue and Grange Road
8.25am to 10.20am. A check of all the CP before the rain came.
5 adult + 5 juvenile Great Crested Grebes 3 Cormorants 4 Grey Herons, all on Bradshaw Brook 10 Canada Geese 71 Mallards 5 Moorhens 50+ Black-headed Gulls 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull flying over, 2 were at Turton High School earlier 2 Feral Pigeons 19 Woodpigeons 8 House Martins high above 3 Swallows 8 Wrens 2 Dunnocks 11 Robins 4 Blackbirds 1 Song Thrush, along Grange Road 1 Chiffchaff 1 Goldcrest Usual Tit Flocks 1 Nuthatch along Grange Road (yesterday there were at least four at the North end of the reservoir) 7 Magpies 12 Jackdaws in field with horses and rabbits along Grange Road 6 Carrion Crows 1 Chaffinch 2 Goldfinches
8am to 9.50am 4 adult + 5 juv Great Crested Grebes 3 Cormorants 4 Grey Herons 9 Canada Geese 70+ Mallard 4 Moorhens 40+ Black-headed Gulls 16 Feral Pigeons 6 Woodpigeons 1 Kingfisher 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 House Martins 27 Swallows on wires up the access road a few Wrens and Robins 1 Dunnock 4 Blackbirds 1 Willow Warbler 2 Goldcrests Resident Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, and Great Tits 1 Nuthatch 2 Jays 8 Magpies 12 Jackdaws 3 Carrion Crows 30+ House Sparrows at top of access road near Bradshaw Road (normally only a few) 2 Chaffinches 5 Goldfinches 6 Greenfinches 1 Siskin 3 Bullfinches 1 Crossbill flying low above conifers near the Information Centre (I have yet to see any land here on the few occasions I have seen them)
Sightings from footbridge at overflow :- 1 Grey Heron 1 Dipper which has been using overflow pipies for a couple of weeks
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 24th of August 2012 05:50:38 PM
6 adult & 5 juvenile Great Crested Grebes. Saw the young Grebes diving for the first time, as gulls swooped at their parents as they fed them. 4 Cormorants 2 Grey Herons 10 Canada Geese 48 Mallards 4 Moorhens 1 Coot 20 Black-headed Gulls 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull 16 Feral Pigeons 14 Woodpigeons 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 2 House Martins (overhead visitors from nests in Chapeltown) 2 Swallows 2 Blackbirds 1 Chiffchaff 2 Nuthatches 3 Jays 6 Magpies 15 Jackdaws 8 Rooks 4 Chaffinches 1 Siskin 3 Bullfinches Other species present :- Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit. 8.30am to 10.10 am
Sat on the Hillside just west of Bradshaw Head till last light tonight watching for Owls and had fine views of a Merlin moving between fenceposts in the tussocks.. It was still there at last light when I left.. Rob Archer
I also note the record in famous 'A Check-list of the Birds of Bolton' states "only one reported record". Without an observers name or substantiation from another source this record goes the way of so many officially unreported birds, which is a massive shame
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 22nd of January 2012 07:46:18 PM
First winter Shag showing very well by the bridge at the north end of Jumbles Reservoir early afternoon, totally oblivious to sunday dog walkers as it stood on rocks by the bridge.
The second record in Bolton following one at Crompton Lodges in 1983 I think. (This one being currently in the Lancs. part of Jumbles).
Juvenile SHAG on north (Lancs) end of reservoir yesterday (info and photo from David Lumb). Has been present for several days but not previously close enough for definite ID.
A Little Egret was hunting in the shallows on the upper part of Wayoh reservoir this morning. At one point it was a metre away from a Grey Heron, giving a good indication of the relative sizes of the two birds.
Unfortunately not actually in the county of Greater Manchester , obviously still a very nice record though.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 15th of July 2011 02:48:34 PM
A Little Egret was hunting in the shallows on the upper part of Wayoh reservoir this morning. At one point it was a metre away from a Grey Heron, giving a good indication of the relative sizes of the two birds.
Walked over via Ranges. Back via Wayoh and Broadhead Brook..0545 till 1530. Saw the following; Ranges; 2 Grey Partridge in Harcles Quarry Cuckoo by Paddys Pond c10 Wheatear in Ranges area Green Woodpecker (h) Kestrel f Sparrowhawk
Jumbles area; Common Sandpiper 4 Common Tern 2 Great Crested Grebe Green and GS Woodpecker (h) 2 Dipper Treecreeper Goldcrest
Walking back (Mainly through Lancs); Common Tern, Cormorant, Goosander, Oystercatcher, Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Blackcap and Garden Warbler
Walked over first thing. 0600 till 1700.Saw the following; 3 Common Tern 1 Mediterranean Gull over. c20 BH Gull 1 LBBGull 1 Great Crested Grebe. 1 Kestrel Blackcap,Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler
Great walk back via Wayho and ove`t moooors in`t Lancs and saw 3 Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Grasshopper Warbler, Green Woodpecker, 2 Buzzard, Lots of Linnet and Lesser Redpoll and 6 Grey Heron high ove`t moors.
Walked over to Jumbles from home over the Ranges and back via Affetside. Great day. 0730 till 1400. Saw the following; f Sparrowhawk over Saplin Wood Green Woodpecker on the Ranges. 7 Skylark in total ..2 singing on the Moors. 1 Curlew below Lark Hill. First of the year here for me. Not much on Jumbles..1 GC Grebe and a few Mallard and Canadas. (Wayoh Res in Lancs is always better. Goldeneye,Pochard,Goosander,Tufties Cormorant, Teal and GC Grebe) c 40 Redwing nr Harry Fold Farm, Affetside 1 f Sparrowhawk Harry Fold farm In Two Brooks; 1 Grey Heron 1 Kestrel 1 Kingfisher (h) 1 f Sparrowhawk
Walked over from home in Ramsbottom. 0815 to 1530. 2 Cormorant flying above the house on opening the back door! Great Spotted Woodpecker in Reddisher Woods Jumbles, 2 Reed Bunting 2 Gadwall (m f) 10 Canadas. 1 m Sparrowhawk. (Great views sat stationary at head height in a bush in the Res for 15 minutes or so. Excellent) ( Pochard,Goldeneye,Teal, Little Grebe and Tufted Duck on Wayoh Res..in Lancs!) 3 Red Grouse on Harcles Hill 2 Raven, Moorbottom Road
Walked over to Jumbles from Rammy. There was a War in progress on the Ranges so went over the Moors and back via Affetside. A good day out. 0815 to 1700 Saw the following: 5 x Dipper Mallard,Canada Geese, 2 x Common Gulls and a few BH Gulls on the Res (Pochard,Teal,Tufted Duck,Goosander and Cormorant on Wayoh Res in Lancs.) 1 x Grey Heron 2 x Kestrel Great Spotted Woodpecker (h) 2 x Green Woodpecker 1 x Grey wagtail 4 x Fieldfare 14 x Redwing 2 x Mistle Thrush 4 x m Goosander over Two Brooks Lots of Long tailed, Coal,Great and Blue tits 4 x Nuthatch 1 x Treecreeper climbing a gable end on a cottage Raven (h) Jay Many Chaffinch,Bullfinch,Goldfinch and Greenfinch 4 x Siskin
Lovely walk round today, followed by a sandwich in the cafe !! Great views of a dipper from the bridge near the outflow into Bradshaw Brook and a gray wagtail at the same place. Half a dozen common terns over a very low res, a common sandpiper and a couple of oyster catchers picking muscles out of the mud and enjoying the contents. Other sightings:
Nice Views of dipper again this afternoon on bradshaw brook in bolton boundary, the next bridge down from lee gate, the metal one five mins walk near the football field, hope your pictures turned out ok JT
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
i just got a email from Ste at the bolton rspb group with a map of the boundarys and i see what you mean about half of jumbles being in gm and the other half not, the brook i covered was in the gm half, got some nice pictures of nuthatch and dippers that day,
ps, i dont think us leythers are odd, i was born in leyth myself
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
The southern half of the reservoir is in GM but I count any birds that are on the reservoir anyway. The northern feeder brook (Bradshaw Brook still) is partly in GM and partly in Lancs. The boundary is odd so you need to look at the A-Z.
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
I did not realize, i was on bradshaw brook and all of the birds mentioned were seen at the first bridge along bradshaw road from lee gate, about two hundred yards up the road from the crofters, there is a public footpath down to the bridge and that was the most active part of the brook i found, the closest street to the area i was was rigby road along bradshaw road very near to lee gate, not sure if this is the manchester area or not?
send any records in to the Leigh ornithological society Den,as for some reason its in thier recording area,which ive always found strange as the rivvy res's are not,and they are a lot closer to Leigh
I did not realize, i was on bradshaw brook and all of the birds mentioned were seen at the first bridge along bradshaw road from lee gate, about two hundred yards up the road from the crofters, there is a public footpath down to the bridge and that was the most active part of the brook i found, the closest street to the area i was was rigby road along bradshaw road very near to lee gate, not sure if this is the manchester area or not?
Judith Smith wrote:
Which end of Jumbles were you? Not all of it is in Greater Manchester...
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
Spent the afternoon today up and down the brook, lots of sightings of dippers, grey wagtails, loads of nuthatches, great spotted woody, chiff chaffs, best two sights of the day were two tree creepers chasing each other up and round a tree and also a great looking goldcrest at the top of the tree as usual but only a small tree so a good view just as i was leaving
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................
a good walk round today with the local bolton rspb group, i wont mention names to protect anonnimity, they know who they are,
started at jumbles and walked along bradshaw brook towards lee gate, a good walk produced great spotted woodpecker, lots of sightings of nuthatch, two tree creepers, grey wagtails, gooseanders and teal, but the best sightings was at least three pairs of dippers, a pair at each bridge we passed, great spot for anyone not seen dippers this year,
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Did you see it? It was small and brown and flew that way.........................