Four Common Scoters (three males, one female/immature) on the reservoir at 8am, still present at 10:30hrs. Windsurfers setting up, so may get flushed but can tolerate them at times.

Canada Goose - 128

Common Sandpiper - 1

Grasshopper Warbler reeling from field to north of Little Town.
Blackcap - 2 singing
Willow Warblers - two collecting food and one family party

Grey Wagtail - one. Have bred successfully this year with one family party seen in May.
Dunnock - 3 singing
Song Thrush - 3 singing and one calling agitatedly.
Wren - 15 singing

Reed Bunting - 2 singing
Bullfinch - pair and independent juvenile (latter feeding in willow)
Linnet on dam
Lesser Redpoll - 3
Siskin - flock of six

08:00 - 11:00 hrs a fairly chilly morning, just +8C at the start

Common Scoter - three males in the middle of the reservoir
Common Sandpiper - a pair and a displaying male

Singing birds
Garden Warbler - one has been showing well for the past two weeks in the trees next to the vehicle track, on the bend just before the windsurfers' club house
Watergrove Garden Warbler
What was almost certainly a second bird was heard singing some distance to the north of the hide which remains closed

Willow Warblers - 22. The peak number this spring was 37 singing on 12th April, one week earlier than 2019's record count of 42.
Blackcap - 5
Whitethroat - 1
Great Tit - 2
Dunnock - 2
Wren - 9
Robin - 3
Blackbird - 3
Song Thrush - 2
Chaffinch - 4
Goldfinch - 1
Lesser Redpoll - 3

The car park reopened yesterday much to the delight of a local flytipper who celebrated the lifting of this lockdown restriction by dumping his builder's waste within hours of the gates being unlocked

Male Red-breasted Merganser on the reservoir at 08:15 hrs showing well close into the dam. No further sign when I left at 09:15 hrs but the bird was diving frequently.

Also a pair of Goosander and three Song Thrushes singing.

Went to try and find the crossbills to no avail

did find a large flock of Fieldfare feeding on the Hawthorn hedge down the side of the Jumping field didn't get a good count but in excess of 100

Lots of Goldfinch around and a Lone Red headed Goosander on the Nature reserve pond

Rain stopped play

3 Whooper Swans (a pair with a juvenile) flew in calling at 17:03 hrs. The birds lowered their legs as they lost height and landed on the reservoir. No sign of them later, so they may have flown off.

A pair of Wigeon

10 Snipe left the hide pool roost between 18:18 and 18:23 hrs and flew west calling.

Great Crested Grebe - 1

6 Wigeon on the reservoir at 17:45 hrs. Still present at 19:05 hrs visible on the water in the reflected sunset. 12 Redwing flew south this am.

A female Ring Ouzel perched in a hawthorn along Higher Slack Brook at 10:30 hrs was the highlight of the morning Location of Ring Ouzel

Also present were (singles unless count specified):
Teal
Great Crested Grebe
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Goldcrest - 2
Skylark - 3 flying east
Swallow - 5
Chiffchaff - 7
Blackcap - 2
Grey Wagtail
Meadow Pipit - 23
Goldfinch - 20
Lesser Redpoll
Bullfinch - 3

I was very surprised to find the Marsh Harrier still present this evening at 19:00 hrs. It initially appeared over the eastern ridge south of the wind turbines then flew down the hillside and was quartering over the fields by the Crook farm ruin (2 mature sycamores mark the location). It dropped to the ground once then resumed hunting flying within approximately 300 metres of my view point at
Steward Barn

Thanks for posting Simon. Having checked the GMBRG database I can confirm it is a first for Watergrove Reservoir. Two new species in one week, following the Mediterranean Gull on Monday, that doesn't happen very often! Ian Kimber has just reported that all the birds on the island have been flushed by a windsurfer and he is no longer able to see the Knot.

Also this morning, a FLOCK of nine Common Sandpipers flew low over the water calling and landed on the shoreline. The highest count here since ten on 5th August 1980. Certainly don't think I've ever seen so many Common Sandpiper together before.

An adult Mediterranean Gull in almost full breeding plumage was roosting with Black-headed Gulls on the spit in front of the Windsurfers' club house at 18:45 hrs. I returned home to get my scope and met Dave Ousey on top of the dam. He relocated the bird on a small island between the spit and the dam. It took flight south at 19:38 hrs and was moulting outer secondaries on both wings. Surprisingly a site first for Watergrove.

Also 3 Common Sandpipers flying together near the dam. A pair bred successfully here this year with a downy juvenile (50% adult size) seen on 6th July.

Late post from Sunday 19th May

28 Willow Warblers singing
Garden Warbler singing

Probably the highlight of the breeding season here so far in 2019 is confirmed breeding of two pairs of Treecreepers. A single pair fledged young in 2016 which was the first time breeding had been proved here.
On Friday evening (17th) an adult was feeding two juveniles in the plantations on the west side of the reservoir and this family party was seen again on Sunday evening. However, a second pair at a different location had been seen carrying food over the past week and then on Sunday evening I noticed an adult Treecreeper carrying food on a drystone wall and initially thought it was searching for insects on the wall. I could hear young birds hunger calling and was amazed to see the adult disappear into a cavity in the wall and then emerge a few seconds later carrying a faecal sac!

This morning Tucker managed to take this fantastic photo of one of the adults again carrying food by the nest hole. The literature refers to Treecreepers nesting up to 16 m above ground behind a flap of loose bark or in a crevice on a tree trunk, in a building or stone wall and occasionally hidden among or behind vegetation I'd be interested to know if anyone else ever observed the species nesting in a drystone wall.

Monday 20th May
The Garden Warbler was showing really well this evening in the willows outside the hide door and sang occasionally.

David, that's an impressive count of Willow Warblers. You probably won't be surprised to hear that it is a record number from Tameside (in the GMBRG database) surpassing the 34 territories recorded by Arthur Renshaw at Park Bridge on 14th April 1995.

Well the new record didn't stand for very long 42 Willow Warblers were singing on Sunday morning 21st April which is a Rochdale borough record. Despite a later start this morning due to my BTO heronry survey at Queen's Park, Heywood there were still 40 birds singing.
The territories from this morning's visit are mapped here Willow Warbler Territories Watergrove Reservoir 22 Apr 2019
Unfortunately, my phone's battery died on Sunday before I had completed my circuit, so I had to resort to old fashioned notebook and pen for the remaining birds.

Willow Warblers have small territories, as shown on the map. However, to avoid double-counting, I stood for a couple of minutes at each location where several birds were singing against each other and made sure that they were taking it in turns to sing. Over the past four days it is really noticeable how the majority are keeping to the same small areas and the Willow Warbler singing in the plantation next to the car park at 10:30am was still singing when I returned at 1pm

The map also shows the areas of the plantations I didn't cover, so whilst not wishing to estimate how many additional Willow Warblers there are in these areas, the 42 actually recorded is definitely a minimum. It will be interesting to see how many stay to breed. There must be other upland sites in GM where similar numbers are present, especially where new plantations have been established in the past 20 years. In the case of Watergrove tree planting began here in the late 1980's.

Two Bramblings were still at the feeding station on Sunday but none seen today.

08:30 - 12:00 hrs, light NE, sunny, temperature climbing from +13C at the start to +21C at midday

33 Willow Warblers singing in the plantations is the second highest site count. Assuming this is the peak number for spring migration this year, the date is within the same 5 day window for the peaks in 2017 (37 on 23/04/17) and 2018 (26 on 21/04/18). Their arrival has been remarkably consistent over the past eight years.
Blackcap - 2 singing (first reported from the site yesterday by Tucker when a male and female were present).
Brambling - 9 still at the feeding station, looked to be all males. Possibly additional birds calling from the trees by Little Town

Great Tit - one carrying moss into a bat box. I just hope it didn't eat any Pipistrelles that may have been roosting in the box before commandeering their home!
Goldcrest - 2 singing
Skylark - 5 singing
Wren - 12 singing
Dunnock - 3 singing
Redwing - 1 in sub song
Pied Wagtail - carrying food. An early date for here
Chaffinch - 7 singing
Lesser Redpoll - 3
Reed Bunting - 1 singing near the hide and 1 male on the moors
Treecreeper - 1 singing. On 8th April one was seen collecting slivers of bark from a birch tree
Great Crested Grebe - a pair which has already lost two nests due to fluctuating water levels

Mealy Redpoll and Brambling showing well this morning only issue is every Saturday's is a Parkrun day....doh !...more images loaded on blog

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 6th of April 2019 09:24:09 PM

The suspected Mealy Redpoll was showing well this morning.

Following up the post from yesterday I checked the feeding station this morning and there is indeed a Mealy Redpoll (in my opinion) with around 30 Lesser Redpolls - also 15+ Brambling , 1 Chiffchaff and a Green Woodpecker calling I think Mealy Redpoll will be a first for Rochdale subsequent to acceptance by the GMRC

-- Edited by Simon Hitchen on Thursday 4th of April 2019 12:02:25 PM

7 Wigeon (4m, 3f) on the reservoir this evening at sunset. These birds are believed to spend the day on Clegg Hall Pools and then fly to Watergrove late afternoon to roost.

Six (3m, 3f) were present at the same time on Saturday 23rd Feb.

Friday, 15th February 2019. 11:30 - 16:00 hrs. Watergrove Reservoir Car Park - Feeding Station (near former Visitor Centre) - Middle Hill - Brown Wardle Hill - Brown House Wham Reservoir - through village of Wardle- back to Watergrove Reservoir Car Park.

Brambling x 2
Skylark x 2
Greenfinch x 3
Reed Bunting x 1
Goosander x 1
Teal x 8
Coal Tit x 1
Raven x 1 (heard gronking)
Lapwing x 30
Black-Headed Gull x 50
Herring Gull x 1
Mistle Thrush x 10
Robin x 5
Great Tit x 3
Blue Tit x 4
Blackbird x 5
Chaffinch x 3
Crow x 10
Dunnock x 1

A big thank you to the guys who keep the feeding station well stocked. I notice the hide a little further on was locked up - is it permanently locked up?

Late post from Sunday 27th Jan. Brambling Bonanza!

I counted 15 Bramblings in the hedge in the windsurfer's car park first thing. Nigel Taylor who runs the feeding station with Tucker emailed me early afternoon to say that he had counted 20 below the feeders.
He managed to get a couple of photos with a maximum of 17 birds in one shot (attached). This is the highest Brambling count at Watergrove since 14th Nov 1980 when Bob Turner recorded 24. It is also the highest count in Rochdale since 2002 when 100 were in Healey Dell.

Late post from Saturday 5th January (additional to Adam's sightings).

Morning Visit

Wigeon - 5 (3 males)

Afternoon Visit
with Zoe Barrett
Canada Geese - 153 most arriving after sunset to roost
Teal - 6
Common Gull - 30
Redshank - feeding on the shoreline by the Windsurfers' club house at 14:10 hrs. Still present at 16:45 hrs.
Snipe - 20 left the hide pool roost from 16:30 to 16:40 hrs
Tawny Owl - pair calling to each other
Treecreeper - 2 feeding close together along the path to the hide
Goldcrest - 1
Reed Bunting - 3

Redshank is a fairly scarce bird in GM at this time of year. There are only 14 January records in the GMBRG database from 2012 to 2018, so an average of 2 per year. However, they do show an interesting trend with number of records in brackets: 2012 (0), 2013 (2), 2014 (1), 2015 (0), 2016 (0), 2017 (6), and 2018 (5). Maximum counts of five on the Manchester Ship Canal at Weaste on 27th Jan 2013 and 5 at Audenshaw on 12th and 19th Jan 2018.

Many thanks to Nigel and Tucker for setting up the feeding station again this winter and keeping it well stocked with food. Brambling used to be mainly a spring and autumn migrant here but the provision of food is undoubtedly the reason why there is now a small over wintering flock.

Late post from Christmas Eve.

Morning visit:
Wigeon - 8 (5 males) on the reservoir at 09:00 hrs, still present at 15:30 hrs
Teal - 11 feeding along the shoreline
Canada Goose - 200+ feeding on the shoreline
Great Crested Grebe - 1
Cormorant - 2
Grey Heron - 1
Lapwing - 70 roosting on the north shore
Tufted Duck - 1 female
Fieldfare - 22 feeding on fields to east of Steward Barn
Brambling - 3 by the feeding station

Afternoon visit:
Snipe - 26+ left the day roost on the hide pool 16:31 - 16:37 hrs. I missed a few, as the first flock split into two groups and flew either side of the hide.
Goosander - 5 redheads flew north
Dipper heard calling in flight after sunset presumably heading to its roost site
Raven - landed in the usual roost tree
Bullfinch - 4
Tawny Owl - female heard calling ke-wick from plantations

Late post from Friday 26th October

A pair of Whooper Swans with a cygnet were roosting on the edge of the island at 17:40 hrs until dislodged by 39 Canada Geese. Still present at 18:35 hrs but gone this morning.

-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Saturday 27th of October 2018 12:52:09 PM

9 Wigeon and 3 Pochard together just out from the dam at 18:00 hrs

Also a flock of 60+ Lapwing and a Dipper heard calling in flight.