CHORLTON WP

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

CHORLTON WP

Joel Tragen · Status: Offline

Tim Wilcox wrote:

Doc Brewster wrote:

Joel Tragen wrote:
So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it.
Sorry to hear that Joel, I will add my comments on this later with relevant info from today!
I had organised a bird ID walk for a Manchester University group today at Newchurch Common but given the awful waether in Cheshire we decided to switch venues from my new patch back to my old patch from when I lived in West Didsbury in the 1990s!
We had fine weather for the whole session and with 8 students, 1 PhD student and 2 lecturers attending we had a great walk. Bird song was concentrated on as a few of them had visual ID skills but had had no practise on calls/song. Highlights included a Common Sandpiper from the bridge over the R.Mersey from the Water Park to Kenworthy Fields and on that stretch of the river at least 4 different Grey Wagtails. One Reed Warbler sang its little head off and gave stunning views allowing close approach and folk ended up with superb photos even just using phones! Warblers seen and heard included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. At least 10 Swifts were seen but only one Swallow. Two Stock Doves flew over us on Barlow Tip as did a Buzzard. A group of 5 Ring-necked Parakeets were over the pond area and singles were seen in 4-5 other areas, part of the group or extra birds, hard to tell! Broods of Mallard and Canada Geese were seen and the 6 Mute Swan cygnets performed beautifully for the group, clambering onto mums back giving great phot opportunities at the very end of our session, a great way to end with mega-cuteness! All in all a very succesful trip with a great group, really eager to learn, hopefully I'll get a chance to take many of them to my new patch in the future
An aside for Joel, one of the students came on his bike & I told him of your experience. He decided to risk it and returned to his locked bike with no problems at all, nothing removed and all intact. I appreciate your warnings as I could pass this on, but today showed that it will not always happen, but personally I wouldn't risk it either.

Stock Dove is an excellent bird and would be a site tick for me

I have done it many times and came back to my bike with it being ok, I was just unlucky but when I do go back I will be on foot. Tim I have had stock doves several times when I was with Liam, I've seen them from kenworthy and Barlow tip. I would recommend just spending 15-20 minutes stood there sky watching.

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

I know, I have seen them over in the past but as a patcher prob only got them about five times a year (I was unemployed so walked the site every day!), got at least half the group onto them and my wife (a very good birder) saw them too, so IDed by at least 3 good birders. Had them throughout the Mersey Valley before, Tim, my last GM Bird Report that I have, before I left the County, was 1999 (the year I moved to Cheshire) and included in the Stock Dove summary were 20 at Chorlton Ees, just along the river from Barlow Tip!! Hopefully you'll get it on your site list soon, just go every day, worked for me (I was unemployed & did Chorlton WP daily!!) wink wink wink

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 10th of May 2016 09:26:40 PM

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Doc Brewster wrote:

Joel Tragen wrote:
So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it.
Sorry to hear that Joel, I will add my comments on this later with relevant info from today!
I had organised a bird ID walk for a Manchester University group today at Newchurch Common but given the awful waether in Cheshire we decided to switch venues from my new patch back to my old patch from when I lived in West Didsbury in the 1990s!
We had fine weather for the whole session and with 8 students, 1 PhD student and 2 lecturers attending we had a great walk. Bird song was concentrated on as a few of them had visual ID skills but had had no practise on calls/song. Highlights included a Common Sandpiper from the bridge over the R.Mersey from the Water Park to Kenworthy Fields and on that stretch of the river at least 4 different Grey Wagtails. One Reed Warbler sang its little head off and gave stunning views allowing close approach and folk ended up with superb photos even just using phones! Warblers seen and heard included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. At least 10 Swifts were seen but only one Swallow. Two Stock Doves flew over us on Barlow Tip as did a Buzzard. A group of 5 Ring-necked Parakeets were over the pond area and singles were seen in 4-5 other areas, part of the group or extra birds, hard to tell! Broods of Mallard and Canada Geese were seen and the 6 Mute Swan cygnets performed beautifully for the group, clambering onto mums back giving great phot opportunities at the very end of our session, a great way to end with mega-cuteness! All in all a very succesful trip with a great group, really eager to learn, hopefully I'll get a chance to take many of them to my new patch in the future
An aside for Joel, one of the students came on his bike & I told him of your experience. He decided to risk it and returned to his locked bike with no problems at all, nothing removed and all intact. I appreciate your warnings as I could pass this on, but today showed that it will not always happen, but personally I wouldn't risk it either.

Stock Dove is an excellent bird and would be a site tick for me

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

Joel Tragen wrote:
So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it.

Sorry to hear that Joel, I will add my comments on this later with relevant info from today!

I had organised a bird ID walk for a Manchester University group today at Newchurch Common but given the awful waether in Cheshire we decided to switch venues from my new patch back to my old patch from when I lived in West Didsbury in the 1990s!

We had fine weather for the whole session and with 8 students, 1 PhD student and 2 lecturers attending we had a great walk. Bird song was concentrated on as a few of them had visual ID skills but had had no practise on calls/song. Highlights included a Common Sandpiper from the bridge over the R.Mersey from the Water Park to Kenworthy Fields and on that stretch of the river at least 4 different Grey Wagtails. One Reed Warbler sang its little head off and gave stunning views allowing close approach and folk ended up with superb photos even just using phones! Warblers seen and heard included Common Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. At least 10 Swifts were seen but only one Swallow. Two Stock Doves flew over us on Barlow Tip as did a Buzzard. A group of 5 Ring-necked Parakeets were over the pond area and singles were seen in 4-5 other areas, part of the group or extra birds, hard to tell! Broods of Mallard and Canada Geese were seen and the 6 Mute Swan cygnets performed beautifully for the group, clambering onto mums back giving great phot opportunities at the very end of our session, a great way to end with mega-cuteness! All in all a very succesful trip with a great group, really eager to learn, hopefully I'll get a chance to take many of them to my new patch in the future smile

An aside for Joel, one of the students came on his bike & I told him of your experience. He decided to risk it and returned to his locked bike with no problems at all, nothing removed and all intact. I appreciate your warnings as I could pass this on, but today showed that it will not always happen, but personally I wouldn't risk it either.

David Morris · Status: Offline

Joel Tragen wrote:

So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it.
No sign of any reed warblers, today or yesterday.
5th may, Barlow tip, kenworthy woods and water park
5 whitethroats
2 blackcaps
1 Chiffchaff
4 tufted ducks
1 great crested grebe
Today, Barlow tip and water park
3 whitethroats
1 blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
1 willow warbler
7 tufted ducks
1 great crested grebe

Sorry to hear about your bike Joel- I was hoping to start cycling to Chorlton WP rather than driving to be a bit more eco-friendly, stuff like this puts me off!

Joel Tragen · Status: Offline

So I've had a pretty aweful visit today after someone tried to nick my saddle and no one passing by tried to stop him. I managed to get it all back luckily but stil shaken up and won't be got back for a few weeks. Just a warning, anyone planing to lock your bike up, it will probably be missing wheels, saddle and handle bars when you get back to it.
No sign of any reed warblers, today or yesterday.
5th may, Barlow tip, kenworthy woods and water park
5 whitethroats
2 blackcaps
1 Chiffchaff
4 tufted ducks
1 great crested grebe
Today, Barlow tip and water park
3 whitethroats
1 blackcap
2 Chiffchaff
1 willow warbler
7 tufted ducks
1 great crested grebe

Mike Brown · Status: Offline

Early morning walk/cycle around Chorlton Water Park, Chorlton Ees and Sale Water Park, 630 - Noon.

The Reed Warblers are definitely present, watched both flitting about for 30 mins around 7 am, I think they keep their heads down once it gets as busy as it was today!

Otherwise pretty much what Steve said, lots of Whitethroats, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs. There was A Garden Warbler singing from deep cover about 50m downstream of the bridge at Jackson's Boat but I couldn't see it, try as I might. Also of relevance, 1 Willow Tit in trees adjacent to the slipway about 30m past Broad Ees Dole. 1 lapwing and 6 Little Grebes on said reserve. Oh yeah, 2 Ring Necked Parakeet in Wythenshawe Park, in large oaks close to the Wythenshawe Rd entrance.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 6th of May 2016 05:29:11 AM

steven burke · Status: Offline

afternoon visit including kenworthy & barlow tip.

9 tufted duck
6 great crested grebe
2 grey heron, 1 adult, 1 juvenile
3 ring-necked parakeet
8 swift
1 jay
1 swallow
23 blackcap
17 chiffchaff
9 whitethroat
no sign of the reed warbler.

Tony Darby · Status: Offline

1st Reed Warbler of the year here (heard only) this afto'.

Tony Coatsworth · Status: Offline

3 Swift over the lake this morning

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

From about 11.30 - 12.30:

2 chiffchaff
c15 sand martin
1 house martin
c20 swallow
1 mistle thrush heard singing
13 coot
4 great crested grebe
8 tufted duck
15+ mallard (including two ducklings)
1 mute swan
1 ring-necked parakeet
1 black-headed gull
1 grey heron

Barlow tip, beforehand:

6 chiffchaff
1 blackcap heard singing
2 whitethroat

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

Lesser Whitethroat singing in Hawthorns along the tarmaced road towards the M'way. Near the barred metal gate on the left headed south but moved further down. The same or a different Lesser Whitethroat heard behind a Whitethroat between Gropper hill and the river. Of interest was that the bird in the Hawthorns I first heard above my head unseen for over a minute making a faint jumbled subsong like a very quiet Garden Warbler. It was easily drowned out by a Dunnock that set up camp nearby. Then finally it moved, came forward enough to catch a glimpse and broke into a familiar loud Lesser Whitethroat rattle. Then it flew across the road and started up again, eventually showing well in good light back on the left side. I can't find this subsong on xeno-canto but it certainly issued from that bird and certainly left me puzzled.

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Thursday 21st of April 2016 08:35:11 PM

Liam_Langley · Status: Offline

Quick walk around late evening:

Redwing (1) Barlow Tip
Mute Swan (2)
Great Crested Grebe (3+)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (2ad) flew north
Goldcrest (1) singing in the car park

Liam_Langley · Status: Offline

Wander round this afternoon with Joel Tragen and Elliot Montieth:

Goosander (1m) flew west over Barlow Tip
Tufted Duck (3,2m)
Cormorant (1)
Buzzard (4)
Sparrowhawk (1+)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (7+ ad)
Stock Dove (2) Kenworthy
House Martin (1)
Sand Martin
Swallow
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Blackcap

Joel Tragen · Status: Offline

early morning with liam langley, I arrived at 7:30 and stayed till 11
highlights (including barlow tip and kenworthy woods):
2 cormorants
2 tufted ducks
1 great crested grebe
3 mute swans
1 sparrowhawk
3 buzzard (2 of displaying)
1 male kestrel
1 pied wagtail
4 chiffchaff
1 willow warbler
1 male whitethroat
6+ swallows
2 house martins
20+ sand martins
7 song thrushes
1 mistle thrush
4 lesser redpoll
3 bullfinch
1 male reed bunting

Joel Tragen · Status: Offline

highlights from yesterday
1 cormorant
3 goldeneye, 2 females and 1 male
4 tufted ducks
3 great crested grebes
3 mute swans
1 adult lesser black-backed gull
50+ sand martins (20+ on the river which later joined the ones on the water park)
2+ swallows (2 seen on the river but saw another one over the water park with the sand martins)
1 chiffchaff

Liam_Langley · Status: Offline

Highlights from this morning 09.10 - 11.50:

Goldeneye (3, 1m)
Goosander (1) flew west over Barlow Tip.
Tufted Duck (5)
Kestrel (1) Barlow Tip
Sparowhawk (1)
Buzzard (2)
Lesser Black-backed Gull (2ad) flew northwest over Barlow Tip
Black Headed Gull (2)
Stock Dove (2) Barlow Tip
Great Spotted Woodpecker (2) Barlow Tip
Swallow (2)
Sand Martin (2)
Willow Wabler (3m)
Blackcap (4+m)

-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Sunday 10th of April 2016 02:14:44 PM

Liam_Langley · Status: Offline

Mid-morning to early afternoon today:

Oystercatcher (1) flew SW over the river just to the east of Jackson's Boat
Goldeneye (3)
Tufted Duck (9)
Buzzard (4)
Sparrowhawk (2)
Swallow (2) along the river
Sand Martin (c5) along the river
Willow Warbler (1)
Blackcap (3)

Tony Coatsworth · Status: Offline

Female Goosander on the river

2 Blackcap

5+ Chiffchaff

1 Willow Warbler in Birches by the Mersey

Tim Wilcox · Status: Offline

This afternoon 2-3pm with Tony Darby

Willow Warbler 2 (first of the year)
Sand Martins 100+ low over the water later flying up higher
Chiffchaff 3

Eugene Dillon-Hooper · Status: Offline

1 Great spotted woodpecker
3 Goldeneye (1m 2 f)
1 Gadwall
c.20 tufted duck
1 black headed gull
2 Chiffchaff
1 Ring-necked Parakeet

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 31st of March 2016 09:40:12 PM

Liam_Langley · Status: Offline

Quieter this morning 07.50 - 10.30:

Goldeneye (3, 1m)

Gadwall (1m)

Black Headed Gull (4)

Treecreeper (1)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (2)

Redwing (3) Barlow Tip

Liam_Langley · Status: Offline

Nice visit to the patch in the rain this evening with the following highlights:

Oystercatcher (2) flew east over the water park calling at 18.17, a patch tick!

Sand Martin (21+)

Kingfisher (1)

Goldeneye (3, 1m)

Tufted Duck (11)

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

Around 5.30 - 6.30:

Lots of blackbird in song; one mistle thrush, too. Long-tailed tit, chaffinch, etc.
2 moorhen
15+ coot
c10 tufted duck
1 pochard (male)
4 goldeneye (two of each)
1 goosander (female)
20 mute swan
Mallard & Canada geese
3 great crested grebe
1 ring-necked parakeet
1 lesser black-backed gull over

Barlow tip, earlier:

3 or 4 chiffchaff
Lots of long-tailed tit
2 bullfinch
Lots of greenfinch
1 reed bunting singing
c15 redwing
1 song thrush singing
1 kestrel

-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Friday 25th of March 2016 11:52:29 PM

PHIL GREENWOOD · Status: Offline

Morning visit.

Goldeneye 1m 2f.
Goosander 2f.
Great Crested Grebe 2
Tufted Duck 4m 2f.
Coot 20+
Mute Swan 18
Mallard 12+
Moorhen 4
Cormorant 2
Canada Geese
Rose-ringed Parakeet 1
Siskin/Lesser Redpoll 20+ mixed flock.
Chiffchaff 1 singing on West island and 1 flitting along southern bank of lake.
Goldcrest 1 singing.
etc.etc.etc.

Gary Edwards · Status: Offline

Some fantastic activity on the feeders around 9:00 am today.

4x Ring Necked Parakeets
at least 2x Brambling
2x Lesser Redpoll.

an abundance of Great Tit, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Dunnock and Robin. A few Long Tailed Tit dropped in too.

Buzzard high over the feeders towards the water park.

Joel Tragen · Status: Offline

3pm till 4:30pm
on the lake: 2 grey herons
1 kingfisher
3 great crested grebes
1 male goldeneye
1 pochards
6 tufted ducks
2 female goosanders
5 redwings
car park feeders:
1 reed bunting
5 siskins
11 chaffinch
1 jay
blue and great tits
barlow tip:
40+ redwings
2 reed buntings
4 mallards

-- Edited by Joel Tragen on Saturday 19th of March 2016 10:26:07 PM

Nev Wright · Status: Offline

This am...

Single Goldeneye

3 Pochard

3 Goosander

Common Gull

6 Siskin

3 Ring-necked Parakeets near the feeders

plus the usuals.... quite a few Mute Swans (15 counted).

Joel Tragen · Status: Offline

early am
highlights
1 grey heron
5 male pochards, all feeding out in the open

Joel Tragen · Status: Offline

very late post from thursday
I went down in the search of the oystercatchers and with the 7 kittiwakes in the county the night before, I liked my chances of one being around.
When I got down I notice a decrease in gulls since last time I was here with only 1 1st winter common gull and 40 odd black headed gulls.
others included:
2 goldeneye
7 pochards
3 great crested grebes
tufted ducks

Liam_Langley · Status: Offline

Great visit to the patch this morning 06.50 - 10.08 with the following highlights:

CURLEW (1) flew east over Barlow Tip calling (07.28)

Lapwing (1) flew west over Barlow Tip (07.40)

Jack Snipe (1) Barlow Tip

Goldeneye (2, 1m)

Pochard (7,6m)

Goosander (1) River Mersey

Gadwall (1)

Stock Dover (2) Barlow Tip

Great Spotted Woodpecker (1) Barlow Tip

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

Late this afternoon:

6 long-tailed tit
5 grey wagtail
2 blackbird singing (first I've heard this year)
2 song thrush
Blue tit, great tit, robin, with dunnock and wren both heard
3 moorhen
c30 coot
15+ tufted duck
12 pochard (all male)
4 goldeneye
1 gadwall
5 great crested grebe (two who looked to be starting to nest build, before a coot saw them off)
6 mute swan
Canada geese and mallard in decent numbers
1 kingfisher
30+ black-headed gull
3 common gull
1 grey heron

Barlow tip, beforehand:

4+ lesser redpoll
5+ siskin
2 greenfinch
1 chaffinch
2 bullfinch
c50 redwing
2 jay
Usuals

-- Edited by Shannon Llewellyn on Sunday 6th of March 2016 10:37:10 PM

Doc Brewster · Status: Offline

A flying visit to my old patch whilst visiting Chris my birding buddy in Manchester. Couldn't stay long, but long enough to see a female Ring-necked Parakeet on the feeders as well as at least 20 Siskins.

steven burke · Status: Offline

from 3.15pm

17 pochard
13 tufted duck
3 goldeneye
7 gadwall
5 great crested grebe
2-3 kingfisher
2 grey heron
1 grey wagtail
2 goosander over
10 ring necked parakeet, 8 on the feeders
270+ gulls on the lake, 13 common gulls the rest black headed gulls, no sign of anything else. I also looked on Saturday afternoon at the gulls but no signs of the Mediterranean gull seen in the morning, there was also 7 siskin on the feeding table on Saturday.

Pete Hines · Status: Offline

Mediterranean Gull - 1, 1st winter, 10.05 - 10.20 at least (info from Liam Langley)

David Morris · Status: Offline

1 Grey Wagtail on the ground by the warden/RSPB hut about 3pm today.

Eugene Dillon-Hooper · Status: Offline

1 Goldeneye M
10-15 Tufted duck
Decent number of Pochard under the trees on the eastern island
Plenty of the usual smaller song birds

Barlow tip:
4 Bullfinch
3 Blue tit

Mark Harvey · Status: Offline

14 2 16

2 Ring Necked Parakeets over
8 Pochard
3 Tufted Duck
1 pair of Goldeneye
1 Lesser Blacked Back Gull

Chris Sutton · Status: Offline

Mediterranean Gull (1)- First Winter.
11:15 - 12:00 walk around CWP primarily to check if the Drake Scaup had reappeared - which it hadn't. Numbers generally down for Pochard, Tufted and Gadwall, with no Goldeneye or Goosander.
As I left I picked up a first winter med gull in front of the eastern island as you look from the car park corner ( note c 80 Black headed gull and a few common scattered across the lake). It later landed near the launch ramp and I got good views alongside adult and first winter Black Headed Gulls. This is a first for the site for me - I have been hoping for a good gull to turn up ! A couple of other local birders had a look this afternoon but did not manage to locate the Mediterranean Gull - but did mention the gull flock was spooked just as they arrived and many dispersed.
Generally quiet otherwise but a few redwing active on the tip.
Chris

Eugene Dillon-Hooper · Status: Offline

Also no sighting of the Scaup, assume it's moved on in the calmer weather?
Few Tufted duck
3 Goldeneye - 1M, 2F
Plenty of Pochard
Plus all the usuals

Chris Sutton · Status: Offline

9:45 to 10:30 am - no sign of Drake Scaup during a quick walk around the water park. Much reduced numbers of Tufted duck too.
Chris

Chris Sutton · Status: Offline

13:00 - Drake Scaup still present - under the low hanging branches at the western end of the eastern island. Chris

Shannon Llewellyn · Status: Offline

This afternoon:

1 goldcrest
7 long-tailed tit
3 house sparrow
3+ goldfinch
2 chaffinch
2 starling
Blue tit, great tit, etc
3 moorhen
37 coot
1 scaup (position as per Tony's post below; in the same area for all the time I spent here)
16+ tufted duck
17+ pochard (one female)
2 goldeneye
11 gadwall
8 mute swan
Good numbers of mallard and Canada geese
2 great crested grebe
2 cormorant
3 ring-necked parakeet
1 common gull
Plenty of black-headed gull

Barlow tip:

20+ siskin
4 greenfinch
1 bullfinch
Several long-tailed tit
10+ redwing
1 stock dove over

Steve Scrimgeour · Status: Offline

Cheers Tony, caught up with it this morning..

Tony Coatsworth · Status: Offline

Scaup still with Pochard - west end of island 1:50 Sunday

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 7th of February 2016 04:25:33 PM

Tony Darby · Status: Offline

Steve Scrimgeour wrote:

Any news on the Scaup, is it still about?

it was still present yesterday (Sat.) afternoon, associating with the Pochard.

Mark Burgess · Status: Offline

Scaup still present this morning at 8.45am obligingly out in the open in the sunshine, initially with two drake Pochard, As I left it was within a group of 20 Pochard 19m & 1f,
Also of note 1 Ring necked Parakeet on the feeders

Steve Scrimgeour · Status: Offline

Any news on the Scaup, is it still about?

Chris Sutton · Status: Offline

Drake Scaup still present today but tucked into branches overhanging the eastern end of the Western Island (c. 14:30).
Fewer birds at the eastern end of the lake due to a canoe training event taking place. So most duck pushed up the lake.
Chris