Late report for Sunday 6th November Walk along the Etherow from Broadbottom and around the CP 1.30-4pm
3 Dipper (all on the river, none by the weir) 10 Mandarin (6m, 4f) 2 Redwing 2 Jay 2 Buzzard 3 Grey Heron Kestrel Long-tailed Tits Grey Wagtail 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker Nuthatch Cormorant Tufted Duck
The hide was utterly devoid of any birdlife. Nothing but a carrion crow in 15 minutes. The trees over the river are getting quite overgrown, meaning the field if view us quite limited.
Chiffchaff x 5 Blackcap x 3 Goldcrest x 3 Song Thrush x 6 Siskin x 4 Coal Tit x 8 Long Tailed Tit x 6 Bullfinch x 1 Chaffinch x 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker x 2 Jay x 1 Grey Wagtail = 2
Conservative count of 32 Mandarin (plus two duckling) One female Tufted Duck on Keg Pool with 5 duckling.
5.00-7.30 a.m. after dropping son off at airport at 4.40 a.m. Good walk through whole area listening to dawn chorus. Magical and I had the whole place to myself seeing and hearing all the expected birds except Egyptian Goose, 3rd visit this year and still not connected. Cheers Ian
The resident Egyptian Goose is still at Platt Fields. No more plastic than the Etherow bird...which is quite a lot anyway
Perhaps it continued to get too close to the Mute Swan pair and they dispatched it (see post on March 13th). From what I witnessed the Swan was quite capable of drowning it. March 13th appears to be last recorded sighting on this website.
5.00-7.30 a.m. after dropping son off at airport at 4.40 a.m. Good walk through whole area listening to dawn chorus. Magical and I had the whole place to myself seeing and hearing all the expected birds except Egyptian Goose, 3rd visit this year and still not connected. Cheers Ian
Had a wander round the park from 1 through till 4:30 getting back just in time for a coffee at the café.......happy days
Plenty of bird life around the park;
9 Chiffchaff. Several Goldcrest heard though only managed to track a couple down. 1 Dipper seen briefly from the Weir Bridge. 2m and 1f Blackcap seen, more heard. 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker 4 Tufted Duck 3 Swallow over the main boating lake Redpoll heard 1 Buzzard over 1 Grey Heron Then all the usual Tit,s, Nuthatch, treecreeper.
A pair of siskin were using the feeder in the last garden before you enter the park. Nearby, my first fledgling of the year, a robin, was pondering why its parents had chosen to nest in mid-winter! A male goosander flew down the length of the mill lodge.
That'll learn him - or possibly not. I've seen Egyptian Geese trying to get on the Ospreys' nests at Rutland Water. They seem incorregible birds, but I have asoft spot for our Lancashire and Cheshire ones. There's an Egyptian Goose on Platt Fields at the moment, and one up at the Quays too (unless it's the same bird?). Good post John, and great pics.
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 13th of March 2016 09:39:55 PM
Thought there might be a Chiffchaff or two today but no. To avoid the crowds I missed visitor centre pools and the weir so no Mandarins seen. But on the way to and around Keg Pool:
The female swan appeared to be sitting on eggs with the male patrolling. But in close attendance to the nest was the Egyptian Goose. After a while preening the Goose approached the nest and perched on it. This caused the female to grab it by the neck, a little more than just allopreening but not as aggressive as pecking. The Egyptian Goose was completely submissive and lay down with neck outstretched and endured a good 'worrying', which lasted a few minutes. Eventually the swan lost interest and the goose left the nest. The following images, taken into strong sunlight, set the scene.
Cheers, John
-- Edited by John Rayner on Sunday 13th of March 2016 08:20:12 PM
Egyptian goose along the canal at Etherow today, making it's usual racket. It usually tags onto a pair of swans later,inspecting their nest and having a lot to say until they get cheesed off with it. I think the canal bank is being cleared to stop the leaning trees uprooting and taking the soil away that's holding up the tarmac road. Only one permanent warden now, who has to do what he can!
Decided to call in after seeing the Scaup at Chorlton, counted 41(at least) Mandarin along canal but no sign of the Egyptian Goose, has it departed/died ?. Cheers Ian
Presumably you walked down to Keg Pool, Ian, as it is very often resident on here?
No I didn't get that far, I thought it lived mostly around the main lake. Cheers Ian
Decided to call in after seeing the Scaup at Chorlton, counted 41(at least) Mandarin along canal but no sign of the Egyptian Goose, has it departed/died ?. Cheers Ian
Presumably you walked down to Keg Pool, Ian, as it is very often resident on here?
Decided to call in after seeing the Scaup at Chorlton, counted 41(at least) Mandarin along canal but no sign of the Egyptian Goose, has it departed/died ?. Cheers Ian
Pretty quiet A few Redwings on the Werneth Low edge of the CP, but largest flock only 9.
Mandarin very scattered throughout the canal and river but at least 30.
11 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 1 Grey Heron.
A Kingfisher flew down river and flew into fairly deep overhanging waterside cover. Could just about make it out in the dense cover and would appear to have settled down to roost.
Anybody know why umpteen trees have been cut down along the waterside edges by the roadside leading to the hide entrance gate? It's even worse along the central causeway from the car park and the canal. As well as the trees almost all the undershrub layer of bramble, hazel and blackthorn etc has been removed leaving a very bare edge to the lake and canal. Just another episode in the worst run CP in the North West - not just my opinion having talked to other regular birders.
Vic,
I think there were signs at one point saying that the embankment of the canal had been severly undermined by unnamed burrowing animals, and was in danger of collapse. I dare say that they decided to extend the action taken there as it would not go down too well if the road to the farm collapsed (they wouldn't be able to hold their music festival then!!). I try to look on the bright side and imagine that more sunlight reaching the surface of the water might encourage some new species of dragonfly. I think future developments in the insect world will be far more interesting than birding ones in ECP (and probably elsewhere).
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Friday 15th of January 2016 09:19:48 PM
Pretty quiet A few Redwings on the Werneth Low edge of the CP, but largest flock only 9.
Mandarin very scattered throughout the canal and river but at least 30.
11 Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 1 Grey Heron.
A Kingfisher flew down river and flew into fairly deep overhanging waterside cover. Could just about make it out in the dense cover and would appear to have settled down to roost.
Anybody know why umpteen trees have been cut down along the waterside edges by the roadside leading to the hide entrance gate? It's even worse along the central causeway from the car park and the canal. As well as the trees almost all the undershrub layer of bramble, hazel and blackthorn etc has been removed leaving a very bare edge to the lake and canal. Just another episode in the worst run CP in the North West - not just my opinion having talked to other regular birders.
Grey Wagtail 1 colour ringed individual near the weir. Left - Metal over Shocking Pink. Right - Yellow over Light Green. A quick Google search suggests it may have been ringed at Heysham. I will try to find out.
6.15-7.30 pm: Kingfisher Mandarin Tawny Owl 2 Goldcrest Small female duck hanging around with Mallard but wary of them. Quite like a Wigeon but not all the features. May be worth checking out. Hybrid?
late am/ early pm 3 Buzzards (minimum - possibly more as birds were overhead in various parts of CP) 1 Sparrowhawk - caused pigeon mayhem around car park 1 Kingfisher 1 Chiffchaff Where have the Little Grebes got to - not seen any this year?
Weir-hide-keg pool 10-12.30: 2 Kingfisher Egyptian Goose 4 Bullfinch Nuthatch 2 families of Tufted Duck Blackcap and young 15+ Mandarin Mute Swan Buzzard 20 House Martin 7 Swallow 3 Swift 5 Chiffchaff Great Spotted Woodpecker
Not really at the park for birds today, but seeing two broods of tufted duck on the keg was the highlight. Two females (no drakes) have broods of seven and four. There was also another juvenile which was sort of with no one. It tried to join the brood of seven and was viciously attacked by the female who made an attempt to drown it. Birds always provide the best action it can't be denied.
Hi Mark, Went up to Etherow Country Park on Saturday June 6th with the Saturday Club which Anne Shaw,from RSPB High Peak started a few years ago.We also saw the party of about 50 Long Tail tits near Hirst Cottage flying like little torpedoes into the trees,always nice to see! Also lots of Mandarin Ducks,on the canal,a Male Tufted duck on the pond near the Weir, Dipper and Grey Wagtail on the river up from the bridge,on to Sunny Corner saw Blackcap,as well as usual Great tit and Blue Tits on the way but no Pied Flycatchers. On to Keg Pool,the Mute Swans still there and a pair of Tufted Ducks,as well as usual Mallards. House Martin and Barn Swallows flying low over river on way back to Visitor Centre and on canal Coots and Moorhens with young and 2 Common Swifts High up. On the lake the Great Crested Grebe swimming on its own ,never seen two here ? Did not manage to see the Kingfisher or the Egyptian Goose. All the best and Good Birding.
A look round the park before the masses descended;
Birds of note:
2f + 1m Great Spotted Woodpecker tending to young. 7m Blackcap calling throughout the park 1f Goosander flythrough 4 Treecreeper 2 Nuthatch 1 Willow Warbler (must be lonely on his own) 1m Bullfinch Plenty of Goldcrest calling through the park as well as some tit flocks roaming.
I wanted to spend a bit longer walking along the side of Keg pool but the male swan followed me the entire length, so I beat a hasty retreat giving it a piece of my mind........but don't think it was overly bothered
Cheers
Mark
-- Edited by Mark Walsh on Monday 25th of May 2015 02:20:17 PM
A very early start of 6:30 - 11 with most of the park covered;
Plenty of Goldcrest calling throughout Same with Chiffchaff 1 lone Willow Warbler 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers 2 Dipper 1 Grey Wagtail 1 Buzzard over keg wood Several Nuthatch and Treecreeper 7 Blackcap (a mixture of male and female)