A quick turn around the water Park as the sun was starting to show up!
6 female and 4 male goosander
2 great crested grebe
Around a dozen tufted duck
2 song thrush
And a gorgeous goldcrest who gave me an amazing mini acrobatic display as he was feeding
Walk around in the rain today, not a huge number of ducks about 1 Pochard, 12 Tufted . 4 Herring gulls in a big mixed raft of Common and Black Headed gulls.
Highlight was a small mixed flock of 7 Goldfinch, 3 Siskin, 2 Redpoll. 1 Treecreeper and a Goldcrest,
Our first visit to the site on a lovely winters morning, really don't know why we haven't been before as its only fifteen minutes from home !!
All the usuals as listed in previous threads however we did see what looked like a good Tuftie/ Scaup male hybrid, green gloss to head, no crest evident a dark looking back albeit at distance so could have been lighter ( no scope today ?)
It would be interesting if any site regulars had seen this duck previously and had any further points of note or theories please.
8 mute Swan 2 pochard, Inc male with wonky wing 10 tufted duck 2 goosander plus 1 on river 12 gadwall 1 Grey heron 6 cormorant 1 chaffinch 7 bullfinch A very impressive siskin flock 100+ easily but very mobile, when landed in tree tops I couldn't find anything else but 3 goldfinch. 1 Grey wagtail on river 1 great spotted woodpecker 1 Herring gull amongst the many black headed gulls & several common gulls. 1 collared dove in car park 15+ ring necked parakeets 5 redwing
Kingfisher 1 Pochard 1 male with wonky wing at the feeding station on the north bank. Goldeneye 3 female/immature. Goosander 1 male, 1 female on the river. Great Crested Grebe 5 Mute Swan 8 Shoveler 1 male. Gadwall 3 Grey Heron 1 Cormorant 3 Tufted Duck 10+ Coot 70+. A bit of a guess. Mallard 40+ Moorhen 6 Siskin 10+ with 10+ Goldfinch. Nuthatch 1 Song Thrush 1 RN Parakeet 6 Common Gull 2 Herring Gull 2 BH Gull 50+ etc.
Late afternoon stroll in the gloom. The usual pochard had emerged from his usual haunt under the trees so it could be seen that he's not moved on because he's got a very badly damaged right wing.
Thirty-odd swifts feeding low over the river by Chorlton WP. Also a male grey wagtail supervising a youngster.
Morning walk today along mersey and CWP. Highlights inc 40+ chiffchaff, 4 Grey wag, 2x siskin jacksons boat, 2x blackcap and probable Common Whitethroat seen and calling on river next to power station. Probable willow warbler near chorlton golf course
Morning walk around the park and along the Mersey, highlights being: Peregrine 1. Goosander (f) 1. Swallow 2 along the river. Bullfinch 1. Greenfinch 2. Grey Wagtail 4. Nuthatch 2
Aythya hybrid considered to have some Pochard influence 1 (unprocessed photographs attached) Pochard 1 drake Tufted Duck 13 Sand Martin 15+ Blackcap 1 in song Chiffchaff 3 Siskin heard
2 drake Pochard, 2 Goldeneye, 5 Great crested Grebe, 6 Ring Necked Parakeet (very close views on the car park feeders), Nuthatch (feeders), 10 Tufted Duck, 10 Mute Swan
Mixed flock of Siskins, Lesser Redpoll and Goldfinch. Approx 5 each
1x M Goldeneye
2x Pochard
1x Jay
4x Great Crested grebe
4x Collard Doves near car park
4x Goosander
Lots of Canada geese, coot, moorhen, black headed gulls, mute swans, mallards, Tufted ducks, robins, blue tits , great tits, long tailed tits, woodpigeon, crows, magpie, house sparrow
Had a walk from Sale WP over to Charlton WP along the River Mersey. Not a good day to don't as it was like Piccadilly Circus with the amount of people knocking about.
This was what was seen along the route and from one side of CWP
X Canada Goose 7 Mute Swan X Tufted Duck -- Over 30 3 Common Goldeneye -- 2M 1F 5 Goosander -- 3 M & 2F 1 Great Crested Grebe X Common Moorhen X Eurasian Coot 2 Ring-necked Parakeet 4 Common Magpie 1 Carrion Crow 2 Long-tailed Tit 2 European Robin 5 Grey Wagtail -- Along the River Mersey 2 Common Reed Bunting -- Bush next to bridge on River Mersey at CWP
Flock of approximately 30 Siskin and 5 Lesser Redpoll feeding in alders next to the main track through Barlow Tip. Goldeneye x3 (2m, 1f) Pochard x 2 (2m) Goosander x4 (4f) Cormorant x1 Great Crested Grebe x2 Tufted Duck x17 Buzzard x1
1410 - 1455, highlights: two male pochard, 16 gadwall, two cormorants, 20 tufted ducks, adult grey heron on island with cormorants. A flock of twelve ring-necked parakeets were busy dismantling the flowers on the Winter cherry by the swings. A flyover little egret as I arrived headed towards Merseybank.
An hour or so until dusk on 25th October, 30th October & 1st November.
Mute Swan 2ad. + 3 juv. & 2 ad. + 2 juv.
Pink-footed Goose 74 to ESE at 1550hrs. over Jackson's Boat area, 30/10. 260 to ESE at 1700hrs. over C.W.P., 30/10 (& another flock just before this, heard but not seen).
Gadwall 14, 25/10, but just 1, 1/11.
Tufted Duck 31, 25/10, but just 1, 1/11.
Cormorant 2, 25/10.
Grey Heron 1-2.
Great Crested Grebe 2, 25/10 & 30/10.
Moorhen Max. 16, 25/10.
Coot 159, 25/10 & 170, 1/11.
Ring-necked Parakeet 35 pre-roost, then north at dusk, 30/10.
Kingfisher 1-2.
Tawny Owl 1 calling at dusk from old tip W. of lake, 25/10.
Kestrel 1, 30/10.
Bullfinch 1, 1/11. & other usual spp.
River, C.W.P. bridge to Jackson's Boat, 1/11: Mallard (77); Goosander (1); Little Grebe (1); Moorhen (1); Grey Wagtail (6 - 2 at J.B. & 4 together C.W.P bridge).
Mandarin pair with ducklings photographed on the River Mersey near the Merseybank playing fields on 25th May, info via Chorlton Wildlife Facebook group
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