Andy Bissitt wrote:

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I'm really chuffed to have helped a few people see this bird for the first time, although I'm sure someone else would have found them today. Nevertheless, this is the reason I go birdwatching, in the hope I might find something of interest to others in the county. Sorry it's such a rare occurrence!!

Cheers.

Andy

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andy you have every reason to be chuffed with yourself on helping a few people out,i for one am very thankfull for such a great find by yourself. a first for me,awesome. keep birding.

I'm really chuffed to have helped a few people see this bird for the first time, although I'm sure someone else would have found them today. Nevertheless, this is the reason I go birdwatching, in the hope I might find something of interest to others in the county. Sorry it's such a rare occurrence!!

Cheers.

Andy

ken the first off the 3 birders that arrived as you were leaving was me,cant believe we did not introduce ourselves never mind.
what a great bird also a lifer for me and to see at least 13 off them was even better. i did manage to get a small flock off 7 a little closer further down the path which consisted off 2 males 2 females and 3 juveniles, but by the looks off chris greenes post the flocks were building all day,awesome. did go back around 4.30pm after a mooch around but no luck,but a chap there (pete) had 3 in flight. pete if you read this thank you very much for the lift to the train station. did also meet scott reid as i was leaving,(nice to meet you)hope you managed to re locate them. on the mooch around did manage 45 species inc...
2 dippers, 1 kingfisher, grey wagtail feeding juvenille,
lots off blackcaps, chiffchaffs, willow warblers, siskins,
buzzards + sparrowhawks over (which kept bothering the crossbills)
swifts, swallows, house martins, sand martins,
great spotted woodpeckers, nuthatches,
mandarins + juveniles, pair off mute swans with 1 cygnet
mallards, coots, moorhens, canada goose + all other unusual looking geese and ducks,
pair great crested grebe, and all other usual woodland birds.
great day.

13+ Crossbills by 11:20 this morning with at least two juveniles in the flock which has been persued by a Sparrowhawk on a couple of occasion now!

Info thanks to Steven Burke

Ernocroft Wood (07.45 - 09.30)

3 Crossbills flew in (calling) at 07.55 to the Larches on the left down the track as described by Andy. They stayed a few minutes then moved further down the track (where there is a rubble pile across the track). Here I had trouble re-locating them until another flock joined them. I thought I'd counted 8 feeding in the Larch top but when they left at 08.27 there were more, probably c12. Of the ones I saw well there were at least 2 males, a green female and a streaky juvenile in this group but for most of the time plumages were difficult to assess against the light.

Whilst feeding they were completely silent and didn't move around much either so would then be difficult to find until they flew. The best method was to listen for dropped cones bouncing off branches and hitting the bracken.

I'm glad you got them Ken

Elsewhere, from the weir to the hide, there were a total of 21 female/eclipse Mandarins and only 1 obvious male. At the hide were 3 ducklings.

Cheers, John

Can't believe I am 200 miles away this weekend.
Will I make it back in time to see them tomorrow? Knowing my luck, probably not.

I'd been on domestic duties this afternoon so hadn't read Andy's post.

I did get down to Etherow about 2 hours after the last sighting and had a brief fly-over at 18.00 of a 'chipping' flock of about 5 or 6 birds. They flew high overhead roughly in line with the track Andy describes. I couldn't find them perched but had to leave in a hurry or else re-subscribe to the Silent Meals Club. I'll also have another go in the morning so may see you there Ken.

Thanks to Andy for the find/post and Karen for the text.

Cheers, John

ETHEROW MEGA!!!!!!!

6 CROSSBILLS IN ERNOCROFT WOOD UP TO 3.55 PM AT LEAST.

Take the main path from by the weir and proceed up it until you get to the area where the wood warblers were a few years back. Take the last path on the right before the gate (which is where the path bends to the left sharply). The birds were in the larches about 20 yds down on the right. There are plenty of cones, so they might stay in the area. Prepare for neck ache though!!

Cheers,

Andy

I am afraid not Stephen. Best thing to do is to scan through the other threads on the forum.

Hi Stephen, it was sat on Keg Pool, which is through the woods just beyond and to the left of the weir. There are wooden signs for it at the appropriate junction in the woods. There were also two Mute swans with one Cygnet on the pool.
Good luck

You're quite right Steve. After receiving images of the beast from Adam, it is indeed a Chinese Swan Goose

Adam Jones wrote:

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Saturday 11th June 6.30-9.00am

Lots of the usual geese, plus one with a very strange bulge at the front of it's head.

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That will be the Chinese (Swan) Goose genes, I guess. Haven't been to Etherow for a few years but there used to be a couple of Swan Geese and a whole lot of Greylag/Swan Goose hybrids.

Steve

2pm- Kingfisher flew upstream past hide. M&F mandarin also swam past. Buzzard and kestrel overhead.

Also, 2x grey wagtails below weir.

06.30 - 09.30 (an early one)

4 Mandarins (2m, 2f)
1 Egyptian Goose
4 Greylag geese
6 Canada Geese
2 GC Grebes near visitor's centre
6 Herons
4 Blackcaps (3m, 1f) - but heard a few more
10+ Chiffchaff heard and seen
5 Willow warblers (heard)
1 Whitethroat
1 Green Woodpecker (heard)
2 GS Woodpeckers (m+f)
1 Treecreeper
1 Nuthatch
All common crow species and tit species, robins and dunnocks.
2 Mistle Thrushes singing from tree tops
1 Song Thrush
10+ Blackbirds
4 Tufted Ducks
1 Grey Wagtail

Great time to go - no dog walkers/runners

keep birding

Walked down through Ernocroft Woods - numerous nuthatches, blackcaps, treecreepers (latter on the open sweeping bend of the trail that loops off to one side and crosses the route of the coal carts) and chiffchaffs. Came across a goldcrest at close quarters too near the treecreepers.

Then from the hide, two willow warblers heard singing quite briefly. Pair of tufties swam past and 2 male mandarins.

Grey heron standing out in the middle near the visitors' centre, looking like a statue. Pair of GC Grebes on the main lake despite all the sailing boats.

Woods over near the Keg - two Sparrowhawks circling overhead at the far end as you start to descend to the pool. At least one of these flew in from the north-west.

Return up though Ernocroft - more treecreepers singing about a third of the way up and then a buzzard calling up beyond the road somewhere.

Didn't spot either redstarts or pied flycatchers :(

Hi Ian (Boote),

This is the Etherow thread with the most recent sightings. The other one had been dormant for nearly 2 years until you found it today

In addition to the other sightings there was also a male Redstart today and a female Pied Flycatcher on 16th (info from John Ireland).

Cheers, John



-- Edited by John Rayner on Sunday 17th of April 2011 08:01:10 PM

Rob Bell wrote:

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12.00 - 2pm

Hope a few redstarts or flycatchers stay and nest! fingers tightly crossed!
cheers

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Couldn't agree more Rob

Seeing as we're getting to that time of year though I'll take the opportunity to bring this forums breeding bird posting policy to the fore once again. It can be found in the sticky threads at the top of this forum

Friday 06.45 - 09.45

No sign of Pied Flycatcher today either but a nice male Redstart compensated.
Sparrowhawk and Raven over.
Both Dippers are unringed.
c10 Mandarins (all males).
Lots of Great Spot activity.
Numerous Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Song Thrushes singing.

Cheers, John

Brief visit this afternoon @ 14:30 , highlights including :
Two dippers on river , just below weir .
Male pied flycatcher , in small enclosed garden area , near weir cottages .
Two chiffchaffs , plenty more heard .
Willow warbler.
Buzzard over .
Coots on canal , now down to one chick ,( three yesterday )
Four swallows over main lake
Plenty of usual tits , finches and nuthatches ...


Cheers Chris

Around 2/3 Dipper, 2 Grey wagtail, 20+ Mandarin on the park as a whole, many treecreepers, 1 Male goosander... Also a possible Wigeon x Mallard hybrid (have got photograph), 2 Great crested grebe as well.

Tuesday 1st March - 11.00a.m.

Pools:

4 Great Crested Grebes
2 Egyptian geese
6 Mandarins
10+ Mallard
4 Coots
2 Moorhens
2 Mute Swans
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Blue Tit
2 Great Tits
1 Greylag Goose
2 Tufted Ducks

River Etherow

1 Dipper (viewed from bridge near waterfall)
1 Magpie

Woods

1 Treecreeper
2 Nuthatches
2 Redwing
1 Fieldfare

From Hide

2 Cormorants sat in the trees looking over the river
1 KINGFISHER (darted past the hide along the river) - great to see considering the harsh weather we've had this winter and makes me wonder whether or not they may be breeding here this year.

Keep Birding!

Enjoyable visit today,between 13:00 and 14:30hrs.
At weir 15 male and 10 female Mandarins.
7 male and 4 female Tufted ducks.
From the C.W.T hide blue,great,coal and long tailed tits.
1 male Chaffinch.
2 Dunnock.
1 Robin.
3 Jays.
Kingfisher in tree upstream.
Male GS Woodpecker.
3 male 2 female Teal.
2 male 2 female Tufted duck.
4 Crows.
12 Cormorants in usual tree.
5 Nuthatch.
Moorhen.
Coot.
Little Grebe.
2 male and 1 female Goosander.
Cheers, Chris

21 mandarin today
Barnacle Goose still
4 Teal from hide
Drake Goosander above weir, 15 siskins too.
12 Stock Dove on farm, with 20 Redwing.
Chris H

There was a Barnacle Goose which kept to itself away from the other geese today. When I came back from the hide I couldn't see it although all the Canadas etc were still present.

From hide: Egyptian Goose, 6 Mandarins, 1 Little Grebe.

Cheers, John