Still largely iced over but in the clear water area:

3 Shoveler (2m, if). Pair in circling display plus a spare male
Wigeon (1m)
Black Swan taking bread
Little Grebe
Mute Swan 3
Mandarin Ducks 13
Plus usuals

A reliable report (with photo) of a Cetti's Warbler last Tuesday (16th) in the river bank vegetation adjacent to Sunnyside Wood

Cheers, John

Weds 17th Jan

My brother text me this evening to say there was a Black Swan present down the Vale

1 Common Raven today around 3pm

A pair of Wigeon on the upper lake at 2pm today.

Sat 6th May.
A very productive afternoon adventure with Lucas after his football class.

Of note..
- 1 Cormorant over
- 1 pr Little Grebe
- few Mandarin around
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- 2 Stock Dove near visitor centre
- 1 pr Goldcrest up close
- 2 Ring-necked Parakeets
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 1 Willow Warbler
- 3 or 4 Chiffchaff
- 3 or 4 Blackcap
- lots of Swift, Sand Martin, and a few Swallow over the lodges

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Monday 8th of May 2023 05:40:48 PM

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Monday 8th of May 2023 05:54:30 PM

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Monday 8th of May 2023 09:18:32 PM

Happy New Year Evening,

 

Quick walk around Reddish Vale Country Park this morning 02/01/2023

 

Highlight2

2 x Mandarin Ducks, ( 1 x Male & 1 x Female)

2 x Robins

1 x Nuthatch

2 x Great Tits

2 x Cormorants

 

John

 

This morning 08.30/10.30 temperature on arrival -7C on departure -5C only small piece of water available for the waterfowl.

Walked over towards Denton as far as the motorway bridge at least four Common Snipe along the River Tame around 30 plus Lapwings over going west.

Three Little Grebe found around the motorway the bridge making it 50 species since Sunday for the site.  

Bumped into a young lady who reported two Common Sandpiper and a Common Redshank earlier in the week.

Finally from 19th December until 3rd January inclusive the Visitor Centre will be closed.

Today 11.30/14.00, temp was 0C on arrival and had gone up to 1C on departure, mainly a fishing visit on the Tame but had a quick walk around the ponds which were nearly all frozen over.

Managed another new species in the form of  a very vocal Jay then around 13.00ish about 100 Canada Geese dropped in on the larger pond. I scanned through them before departing but could find no other species of goose.

A chap told me he had photographed a Goldcrest near the visitor centre earlier in the day, he had also seen a singe Fieldfare and he had heard told of a Common Sandpiper.

Several Robins visited me whilst I fished this was because I was feeding them maggots for a few hours.

Water temp in the river was 4C      

This morning 09.30/11.30 temperature on arrival -2C on departure it had risen to -1C

Managed to catch up with the delightful Little Egret on the River Tame and then add another 7 species with the most notable being a Common Snipe flyover, 1 x Sparrowhawk and x 1 Common Gull in amongst the Black-headed Gulls c100.

I think that is 45 species in 24 hours for the Vale.

-- Edited by Tony Koziol on Monday 12th of December 2022 02:09:26 PM

10.15/11.55

We had 31 species this morning most notable being Goldcrest and Great Spotted Woodpecker. Managed to miss six from the list Chris had, so at least 37 species around the Vale this morning, great stuff.

A good Gadwall flock building:

Gadwall 8m, 6f
Wigeon 1m,1f
Goosander 1m,1f
Mute Swans 2ad, 3imm
Tufted Ducks 28
Mandarin 1m
Little Grebes 2
Ring-necked Parakeets 11

Cheers John

Quick visit from 11:00- 12:00 today only around lakes and visitor centre. 

2 Wigeon, 4 Gadwall, 2 Little Grebe, 5 Mute Swan, 10 Ring Necked Parakeet, Grey Heron, 2 Nuthatch, 30 Tufted Duck 

Sat 16th July
Nice visit with Lucas after his football class.

Of note
- a single Tufted Duck
- few Mandarin
- 1 Kingfisher (in flight over main pond)
- c20 Sand Martin
- c10 Swallow
- 2 Swift
- 2 Blackcap
- 1 Chiffchaff
- 1 Common Buzzard circling over
- 1 Sparrowhawk being harassed by Sand Martins
- Canada Goose with golf ball size lump on its face

Sat 11th June.
Lunchtime visit after Lucass football class.

Of note..
- 4 Sand Martin
- 3 Grey Wagtail (2 young)
- 2 Chiffchaff
- 1 Blackcap
- few Mandarin around
- Mute Swan pair 4DND + 4DNF + 3 cygnets
Very aggressive behaviour (to be expected I suppose) from Cob 4DND. He took 2 Canada Geese under and tried to drown them, and battered and nipped numerous others if they were too close to his cygnets.

The trouble is Rob, these drugged up morons are likely to be carrying weapons, far too many incidents these days regarding stabbings so I'm not ready to be a statistic just yet !! as I have six species left to get on my British List........

Too many professional "dog walkers" these days who just let the six dogs they have off the lead to run around disturbing the wildlife, seen it on the river so many times. Down the Vale they seem to think its a game to let the dogs run around chasing the wildfowl, I avoid it down there now.

Good night from Victor Meldrew MK Two........

On the River Tame fishing yesterday as it was the last day of the Coarse River fishing season, two Dippers were up and down the river then two Grey Wagtail delighted me and finally a Kingfisher put in an appearance. 

Sadly around 19.00 two dope smoking morons decided to light a fire at a point along the footpath where a Poplar hade been blown over by the recent gales. This poor Poplar had been set on fire a few years ago by other morons and was eventually weakened hence it been snapped at its weakest point. I would guess the Poplars along the river must be fifty years old at least, I have fished the river for 22 years and they were huge then.

I asked myself do I challenge these morons or turn a blind eye.....sadly I turned chicken and packed up at 20.00 and went home. Should I have rang 999  and wasted tax payers money on such a call?

This year seems to be worse than others for bad behaviour, dog bags in trees and bushes, dogs let free to run in newly sown arable fields and scrambler bikes wherever they wish to go .  

Sorry folks rant over and out of my Victor Meldrew persona.

Our normal New Years day walk around delayed until yesterday, 26 species with the highlights being a Song Thrush in full voice, four Siskin, Bullfinch (f), Shoveler (m), three Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail and twenty one Mandarin.

A single Woodcock flew over the  River Tame yesterday at around 16.15 heading towards Portwood.

Hordes of people but the abundant waterfowl didnt seem to mind.

Gadwall 4
Shoveler 4
Wigeon 4
Mallard 117
Tufted Duck 13
Mandarin 6
Canada Goose 69
Mute Swan 4
Little Grebe 1
Coot 36
Moorhen 31
Cormorant 3
Black-headed Gull 22

Cheers John

Reply from Steve Christmas, much appreciated as always.

4DND ringed as a cygnet 24.10.15 Sale WP
4DNF ringed as 2CY fem 29.3.17 Ordsall

These were the nesting pair here last year.

Hobby at 3:45 pm over Eastern end near the motorway bridge.

Seen today on a very busy walk around Reddish Vale (1420-1530) 27th Feb

1x Dunnock (Lifer)

2x Robins

6x Cormorants

6x Carrion Crows

9x Magpies

30+ Canada Goose

25+ Mallards

6x Mute Swans

1x Chaffinch

14x House Sparrow

15x Coots (One of which was sat on nest)

1x Moorhen

4x Blackbirds

3x Great Tits

 

9-11 2 Common Snipe, 14 Mandarin Duck, 2 Treecreeper, 2 Nuthatch, 4 Teal, 5 Goosander, 2 Sparrowhawk, 2 Ring Necked Parakeet, 5 Jay, 2 Grey Wagtail, 2 Grey Heron, Mistle Thrush, Stock Dove 

Several times in the last few weeks I've seen a pair of Kestrels darting about in different areas of the Vale.

Yesterday morning however, I witnessed a first for me as no less than a group of 5 Kestrels passed over the main pond from the farmers field heading towards the river! (Last years brood I'm guessing)

The frustrating thing for me is that I had my camera with me, but was too taken aback and a photograph was sadly a afterthought!

Other highlight was a male Kingfisher showing well early doors on the main pond.