the Greylag Goose with a neck band sounds interesting, pleased try robert.swann@homecall.co.uk for information as it sounds possibly like one of theirs?
Hour here before dark today. No red-breasted merganser for me, but here's what I did note:
1-2 or more grey wagtail, plenty of activity around the little reed bed, where I've sen them congregate before, but never more than one at a time. 8 moorhen 33+ coot 17 gadwall 18+ tufted duck 12 pochard (one female) 2 goosander 1 greylag goose (with a red / dark orange neck-ring, SCZ) 10 mute swan 4 great crested grebe
Same as Pete Hines post, plus a couple of Siskin in a mixed flock of Tits feeding on the Alders at Barlow Tip and a Kestrel on the boundary with the golf course. No Merganser . Nice to see Steve Almond.
A quick lap of the lake with David Morris from around 12-13.00 today
We had the same stuff as Joel on the water, where a fair bit of ice was keeping the waterfowl from the northern shoreline. No small finches or similar seen but the highlight for me at least was a Woodcock whooshing by overhead, heading for Barlow Tip. Presumably it had been rudely disturbed by one of the seven million or so dogs being walked by the good burghers of Chorlton...
2:15pm - 3:00pm. A short scroll around the lake, very busy with people so not many birds seen other than what was on the lake. 6 pochards (all males) a pair or goldeneye 17 tufted ducks 2 cormorant 4 great crested grebes ~100 black-headed gulls ~15 common gulls 3 lesser black-backed gulls what looked like a dead gull on the ice around the reed bed
Mute Swan (10, 2 ad, 8 1w) Gadwall (2, 1m) Pochard (2m) Tufted Duck (c8m) Cormorant (4) GC Grebe (2) Herring Gull (2 ad) west over. Lesser Black-backed Gull (5 ad) four west and one south over. Stock Dove (3) west over the water park. Grey Wagtail (1)
-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Thursday 21st of December 2017 05:07:37 PM
Pochard 2 ( 1 male & 1 female) Kingfisher 2 Siskin 10+ (possibly more in the area) Lesser Redpoll 2+ (possibly more in the area) Herring Gull 1 Lesser Black-backed gull 2
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Here for an hour late afternoon, as dark descended; nothing like the number of species found as post below, but counts were:
1 goldcrest 4+ grey wagtail (making a tremendous racket from the reed bed end, great to hear) 3 moorhen 61+ coot 13+ tufted duck 16+ gadwall 3 great crested grebe 10 mute swan 60+ black-headed gull, mainly over or departing 4 cormorant
Hobby circling high above the water park/River Mersey. In association with Black-headed Gulls but often above them. It looked as if they were all feeding on flying insects.
Quick visit this afternoon 13.47 - 15.20 with the following highlights:
COMMON SANDPIPER (1) flushed from the north shore at 14.03 and circled the lake calling although I didn't see where it went to. Only my third CWP record! Mute Swan (1) Tufted Duck (5, 3m) Buzzard (1) Swift (c15) House Martin (2+) Sand Martin (2+) Swallow Reed Warbler (1m) singing in the reed bed at the east end. Whitethroat (2m) Willow Warbler (1m)
-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Monday 8th of May 2017 05:54:57 PM
Nice wander round this afternoon 13.42 - 14.56 with the following highlights:
LESSER WHITETHROAT (1m) singing along the river adjacent to Barlow Tip - a patch tick for me! Whitethroat (2+ m) Willow Warbler (2m) Swift (8+) my first of the year over Barlow Tip House Martin (2) over Barlow Tip Swallow Great Crested Grebe (3ad)
2 chiffchaff 2 blackcap 1 nuthatch 3 goldfinch 1 chaffinch (with no lower legs; was able to shuffle along the branch with what he had left whilst belting out his song) 4+ house sparrow 1 swallow 1 jay 1 moorhen 23 coot, a few carrying nesting material around 13 tufted duck Mallard & Canada geese 8 mute swan 1 great crested grebe 1 black-headed gull
Kenworthy Woods:
1 goldcrest 4 chiffchaff 7 blackcap 1 whitethroat 1 greenfinch 1 song thrush 1 stock dove over 1 buzzard
English Nature do issue a licence to remove Buzzards, but it is very complicated and you cannot just take any, the licence holders needs to prove the birds are doing damage to property livestocks or crops, in fact that goes for any removal or taking or wild birds.
It is a very difficult area of legislation and one that causes a lot of debate, the main thing here, is that the licence holder may be able to do it, but they cannot ask family or friends to help.
it is illegal to take or possess any wild bird or part of a wild bird, its eggs or nest, however if you have a general licence then as long as you apply the strict rules , you may be able to do so, but you may also fall foul of the law, if you stray from the conditions of licence.
It is a extremely complicated area.
Best just to watch, mother nature does a good job of keeping order.
Just met a dark haired young lad circa 16yrs who was out looking for Buzzard nests. Apparently his Dad had got a licence to take a young bird. Fortunately he's in totally the wrong area. Really surprised thought this kind of thing had died out years ago.
Take a young bird for what I wonder? I'm not aware of the existence of such a 'licence' (maybe someone on here is) though of course, while one may now be obtained to 'control' them, Chorlton WP would be extremely unlikely to meet the criteria for one of those! All around very 'fishy' to me
Just met a dark haired young lad circa 16yrs who was out looking for Buzzard nests. Apparently his Dad had got a licence to take a young bird. Fortunately he's in totally the wrong area. Really surprised thought this kind of thing had died out years ago.
As I had an emergency dental appointment in West Didsbury today I combined it with a visit to my old local patch and have a lovely, shortish, visit in the bright sunshine.
Highlights were up to 8 Ring-necked Parakeets, at least two of them 'singing' territorially from trees which they left but kept returning to to carry on repetitively 'singing'. I only checked out the eastern end of the lake but still picked up 3(2 drake) Goosanders and a female Goldeneye amongst the commoner waterfowl. Plenty of Tufted Ducks and a pair of Gadwall too as well as a female Pochard. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was calling on Kenworthy Fields and a few Redwings were flying about. At least 5 Nuthatches were seen, several visiting the feeding station.
Great to be back and a bonus to make up for my pain
25+ goldfinch 7 house sparrow 2 redwing 1 great spotted woodpecker 2 ring-necked parakeet 8 moorhen 30+ coot 8+ gadwall 4 shoveler 44+ tufted duck 19 pochard (one female) 2 goldeneye 4 goosander 6 mute swan 1 little grebe 4 (possibly 6) great crested grebe (two in an almighty scrap) 5 cormorant c130 black-headed gull 6+ common gull 1 lesser black-backed gull
Also what sounded very much like a linnet over the Barlow Tip end; only heard very briefly, and no chance of an ID on sight, so not 100% certain, but still, a pretty distinctive call.