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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Sunday 21st July (Sorry for the late post, been so busy with work and baby)
Went for a walk round Chorlton WP with Michelle and baby, then followed the Mersey over to Jackson Boat for some much needed refreshments
- Ring-necked Parakeets 3 seen, more heard, 1 showing well on feeders - Grey Wagtail 5 minimum - Reed Bunting 2 - Common Buzzard being harassed by Lesser Black-backed Gull - Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 - Blackcap 1, more heard - plenty of Chiffchaff heard
An hour or so this morning at CWP and Kenworthy - male Mandarin flew in, 2 pochard, 3 shoveler, 4 GC Grebe, 1 kingfisher, 10 song thrush singing on Kenworthy, 4 siskin
Mute Swan (12, 5 ad, 7 2CY) Shoveler (3, 1m) Teal (1m - next to island and west end) Goldeneye (2, 1m) Goosander (2 f/2CY - flew east down the river) Pochard (5, 4m) Grey Heron (1) Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 ad) Chiffchaff (1 - along south side of lake. loosely associating with a Long-tailed Tit flock. My first winter record for the site!)
A walk around this afternoon to kickstart the year list 11.59-14.06:
Mute Swan (16, 9 ad, 7 2CY - my personal high count for the site) Shoveler (1f/2CY) Pochard (6, 5m) Great Crested Grebe (2, pair displaying at west end) Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) Kestrel (1m - Barlow Tip) Treecreeper (2) Lesser Repoll (c30 - Barlow Tip, gave prolonged views near the pumping station but sadly no Mealies with them)
-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Wednesday 2nd of January 2019 03:57:37 PM
Mute Swan (7, 2ad, 5 1CY) Shoveler (2,1m) Gadwall (20+) Pochard (6, 2m) Tufted Duck (c36) Goosander (3, male on water park and a male and a redhead flew west down the river) Grey Heron (2) Sparrowhawk (1, Barlow Tip) Common Gull (40+, resting on the concrete supports of the sub-station across the river)
No winter thrushes or snipe on the tip sadly!
-- Edited by Liam_Langley on Friday 28th of December 2018 03:07:26 PM
Wigeon 10 today. Tony Darby and me were wondering what the Wigeon high count may have been in the past at Chorlton WP or are Wigeon more recent due to the rafts of weed to graze on.
Tim,
the highest Wigeon count from CWP in the GMBRG database is 16 on 7th April 1996. These were part of a county wide spring movement which occurred between 3rd and 7th of April that year. The highest recent count submitted is 8 on 14th October 2016.
Steve
Thanks Steve; very interesting. I shall of course be submitting yesterdays record
Tony Darby reported 16 Wigeon on this forum on 24th January 2013
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Updated birding videos on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/c/PeteHinesbirding
Wigeon 10 today. Tony Darby and me were wondering what the Wigeon high count may have been in the past at Chorlton WP or are Wigeon more recent due to the rafts of weed to graze on.
Tim,
the highest Wigeon count from CWP in the GMBRG database is 16 on 7th April 1996. These were part of a county wide spring movement which occurred between 3rd and 7th of April that year. The highest recent count submitted is 8 on 14th October 2016.
Steve
Thanks Steve; very interesting. I shall of course be submitting yesterdays record
Wigeon 10 today. Tony Darby and me were wondering what the Wigeon high count may have been in the past at Chorlton WP or are Wigeon more recent due to the rafts of weed to graze on.
Tim,
the highest Wigeon count from CWP in the GMBRG database is 16 on 7th April 1996. These were part of a county wide spring movement which occurred between 3rd and 7th of April that year. The highest recent count submitted is 8 on 14th October 2016.
Steve
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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
Wigeon 10 today. Tony Darby and me were wondering what the Wigeon high count may have been in the past at Chorlton WP or are Wigeon more recent due to the rafts of weed to graze on.
Canada Goose (c150) - the most I've ever seen at the site. Great Crested Grebe (2 ad) Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 ad) Swift (5+) Whitethroat (1m) Willow Warbler (1m)
Lesser Whitethroat singing at the river by the metal gate to the tip at 5.15pm then flew across the river to the substation area and started singing from bush along the upper river bank.
Wander round in the rain today 10.44 - c12.45, highlights as follows:
Swift (1) over Kenworthy Bridge at 12.35 - my earliest patch record by a week! Mute Swan (5, 3 ad, 2 imm) Tufted Duck (10, 7m) Black-headed Gull (1 imm) Herring Gull (1 imm) Great Spotted Woodpecker (1) Treecreeper (1m) singing in trees along the south bank of the river. Swallow (15+) Sand Martin (15+) House Martin (5+) Willow Warbler (1m) singing on Barlow Tip. Whitethroat (1m) singing on Barlow Tip. Reed Bunting (3m)
Another nice walk around this morning 09.55 - 11.50, highlights as follows:
Mute Swan (3, 1 ad, 2 imm) Tufted Duck (16, 9m) a really large count for this late in the year. Cormorant (1) Black-headed Gull (1 imm) Lesser Black-backed Gull (1) Herring Gull (2) Sand Martin (10+) House Martin Swallow (5+) Nuthatch (2) Willow Warbler (1m) singing on Barlow Tip. Whitethroat (1m) singing on Barlow Tip. Reed Bunting (3, 2m)
I had a look this evening for the lesser whitethroat in the area described by Chris and Simon but with no luck. Saying that you couldn't hear any other bird for the song thrush belting it out. Blackcap in the area and displaying Greenfinches. Buzzard over the golf course, 2 kestrel and a sparrowhawk over Hardy Farm earlier in the day.
Chris Chandler posted this on another thread earlier but this thread includes Kenworthy Woods so I've copied it across for the continuity:
"Morning walk with Simon Gough along the Mersey (9.30 - 12pm).
Pretty drab conditions - heavy drizzle throughout and mist hanging over the river. We crossed over the river by the Water Park and followed the opposite bank up to Jackson's Boat.
The plan was to check for Common Whitethroat in the area round the electricity substation, as I've seen them here in previous years. After scouring the dense brambles in the area for several minutes, we were surprised by a sudden burst of Lesser Whitethroat song and the bird showed for a few seconds before flying further down the river. We followed it to a cordoned off area with several 'Caution - Japanese Knotweed' signs. The bird stayed in this area, but out of sight for around 40 minutes. By this stage the rain was pretty persistent and only the brief bursts of song let us know it was still there.
Eventually the rain let up and the bird began singing almost continuously and afforded us several much better views. I've seen Lesser Whitethroat on this section of the river before, but it was great to find one ourselves and made up for an otherwise grim morning!
No Common Whitethroat along the river, though we did see one later at Hardy Farm.
Also seen:
Lots of Blackcap Chiffchaff Ring-Necked Parakeet Grey Wagtail Buzzard Great Spotted Woodpecker "