Best day counts of migrants in last ten days or so:
Swift - 3
Common Sandpiper - 2
Sand Martin - c.25
Swallow - 5
House Martin - 8
Willow Warbler - 6 More this year than in previous three combined, present daily.
Chiffchaff - 14 Only about two thirds of site covered.
Sedge Warbler - 1
Reed Warbler - 3
Blackcap - 17 Only about two thirds of site covered.
Whitethroat - 2
But nothing else unfortunately. In past four days have recorded 60 species, getting 51 & 52 yesterday & today.
Both Cetti's Warblers have been showing extremely well in v. early morning, the male coming within 2 ft. of me once.
The B.E.D. Little Grebe pair hatched one chick in midweek, but it only lasted a single day.
The Moorhen pair from the middle of B.E.D. have just hatched 6 young.
Only 11 Coot over the last two weeks, now three sitting birds, one pair thinking of starting again after a recent failure, one pair just getting together, and a spare bird. The male of the B.E.D. pair has a white darvic ring, fitted at Chorlton W.P. on 7th Jan. 2023.
The Raven pair now prefers the pylon just W. of the canal to that by B.E.D., and seems to go towards Stretford Meadows to feed. The other pair of the two pairs present last seen heading off to SE a couple of weeks ago.
Willow Tit, just one singing around eastern part of site.
The Jackdaw roost at B.E.D. was down to 225 in midweek.
The only unusual migrant activity for here in last few days:
Lapwing - 1 high over to E.
Sparrowhawk - 2 together high over to E., much to the annoyance of the local birds.
Rook - 1 high over to SW one morning, and 3 together similarly the next morning.
Only just about enough to get me out of bed at 0500hrs. every morning.
Raven 4 together over west (came from over Chorlton Ees) Cetti's Warbler singing at the Teal Pool Snipe 2 at the Teal Pool Shoveler 11 Gadwall 22 Teal 12 Tufted Duck 11 Goosander 4 Little Grebe 2 Great Crested Grebe 3 Black-headed Gull - adult with blue darvic X252 Willow Tit 1 at the feeders Treecreeper 1 Siskin 51 (in 2 flocks) Reed Bunting male singing at Sale Ees
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Broad Ees Dole looking very bleak, with almost no bird life save for a couple of Herons and a Moorhen. Looked to be largely frozen over so all ducks etc on the main lake.
Aside from the usuals were a pair of Wigeon associating with the Gadwall and Tufted Ducks behind the islands on the main lake.
1 Woodcock in wildflower meadow. 5 goosander over. 1 little grebe on river. 100+ ring necked parakeets flew out of trees near jacksons boat at 4.10pm & headed north.
Best counts from the lake during the cold spell and through this week:
Mute Swan (25); Teal (47 on the B.E.D. ice); Gadwall (41); Shoveler (6); Tufted Duck (17); Goldeneye (2 fem./imm.);
Goosander (10); Cormorant (9); Great Crested Grebe (4); Little Grebe (16); Coot (94); Water Rail (2);
Common Snipe (3).
Cetti's Warbler still present, but the B.E.D. Chiffchaff disappeared as soon as it froze. Lots of Long-tailed Tit (25+), Siskin (45+).
Ice on the lake gave opportunity to look at gull legs. Apart from three locally ringed regular Black-headed Gulls and a regular Belgian bird, also saw
two Norwegian B.-h. G., a returning Polish bird and a Danish bird. Also, on one day, the Common Gull seen in Jan at S.W.P. was present, ringed as adult on
25/7/20 at the Lofoten Islands, N. Norway, just inside the Arctic Circle. These two S.W.P. sightings are the only ones since ringing.
One of the Norwegian B.-h. Gulls was a bird I saw at S.W.P. in Jan. 2021, ringed as a 3cy+ male nr. Oslo in April 2020 and seen there several times
each year since, last in April 2023.
The other Norwegian bird was ringed as 2cy at Oslo in May 2022, seen there in June 2022 and April- June 2023, next at S.W.P. for four days this week.
I also saw the Danish bird in Jan.; unfortunately the ringer is one with a bad reputation for replying to reports of his birds. Birder friends
on the east coast and south coast normally ignore his birds as they don't expect a reply. As this bird was close to home I sent off a report
for the January sighting, and guess what, no reply.
The Shag took a bit of finding when I first arrived this morning. It was distant and diving. After I had lunch in my car, I went back out and located it again. Eventually, it swam up onto the slipway by the car park. So glad I hung about as I was aiming for high tide at Parkgate or a walk from Rostherne to Tatton Park.
This afternoon from 15.43, the Shag was on the main lake towards the west end, closer to the M60, it later swam back to the pontoon at 17.09 and still present there at 17.20.
The Shag is present again this afternoon, on the floating pontoon below the car park. Apparently very tolerant of canoeists. Info thanks to Ian McDonald and Sam Harris
The shag flew off the pontoon at 5.51pm (according to my phone) it flew towards the east end turned & then started heading west but then flew over Broad ees dole, lost from view because of tall trees. Well done to John shaunessy.
Woodcock over wildflower meadow, another or the same one was seen a little later whizzing around.
The Shag was found by John Shaughnessy shortly after 14.00 (it hadn't been present earlier). Still remaining in situ on the pontoon, viewed from the boardwalk below the Boathouse Restaurant, at 16.40
3:30pm - 4:00pm, 12 gadwall, 2 teal, 4 shoveler, 1 juvenile dabchick, 8 coot, 2 moorhens. Four mallards flew in as I was leaving. All birds on the pool in front of the hide, the teal pool was deserted.
From 2 pm today 05.09.23 Visitor Centre feeders - Coal tit - 2 ( both constantly on and off the feeders, one looking tatty, possible a pair ). Nuthatch - 1. Also Blue and Great tits.
Main lake - Lots of people boating etc. Great crested grebe - 2. Cormorant - 4 on pylon.
Broad ees dole - Shoveler duck - 1. Little grebe - 1. Grey Heron - 4. Teal pool Water rail - 1. Kingfisher - 1 across.
Cetti's Warbler 1 possibly 2. One singing at the Teal Pool path 53.435633, -2.304545. Later one calling at the riverbank 53.432329, -2.295704 (706.66 metres apart) which flew across to the Chorlton Ees side giving views in Willow and Balsam, constantly calling.
Willow Tit heard at the inflow channel 53.430488, -2.294519
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Thanks Chris. I'm a bit reluctant to approach the land-owner, given that I've only seen mink there once. However, if it starts to happen more often, I might take you up on your offer.
I do not know the definitive answer to the Mink situation but I can share my experience of a similar incident.a few years ago. I witnessed a mink raiding the Sand Martin colony in Urmston.. It was brutal and relentless.
What came clear is you need 2 things, 1. Someone willing to deal with removing the mink 2. The landowners permission to remove the mink
In the area you describe i believe the Environment Agency are responsible for the river up to the top of the river banks. It is the respibsibility of the adjacent landowners beyond that.
To the north of the river I understand the field is a farmer holding a lease from Trafford Council. To the South of the river it is EA / Trafford Council / AMEY. (I won't go into the details here). The issue I experienced became determining where the mink breeding site was so whose permission was required. By the time I determined this there were not many Sand Martin left.
If it would help send me a PM and I would be happy to give you contact numbers for some of the organisations I mention above.
Little Egret at Broad Ees Dole again this morning.
Also, saw a mink kill a moorhen in the river before dragging it onto the bank. I vaguely remember that we're supposed to report mink sightings, but the only place I can find to report them is https://www.waterliferecoverytrust.org.uk/report-a-sighting/ If I've got that wrong, please let me know.
Cetti's Warbler 1 still, showing and calling frequently at the side of the path by the Teal Pool, then later a brief burst of song from the back of Teal Pool Willow Warbler 1 in song Chiffchaff 8 Blackcap 3 Teal 3 Gadwall 3 Little Grebe 1 Great Crested Grebe 2 Kingfisher 1
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A few birds on this morning's visit that I don't usually see here:-
Common Tern, fishing over the lake (see horrible record shot)
Common Sandpiper, flying low over the lake
Sedge Warbler, in the marshy scrub beside Cow Lane, below the visitor centre
Also unusual (for me) was a group of six Mistle Thrushes that flew out of the woodland behind Broad Ees Dole and across the river towards Chorlton Ees.