Redhead Smew (of unknown origin) on Worthington Lakes at 7:25pm this evening. Walk from the car park to the lake, turn right and the bird has been near the blue pipe.
A quick hour this morning before the rain came, very quiet
Mandarin with seven young Mallard with four young and Moorhen with three young all feeding in the stream before you get to the lakes. single Yellowhammer in song Grey Heron on reserve no signs of the Sparrowhawks, looks as though they have failed this year no sign of Jimmy Mute swan and the four cygnets too single Jay
Coal Tit with young Whitethroat Sparrowhawk on nest Great Crested Grebe still with 3 young Mallard with 5 young Mandarin with young on reserve, didnt get chance to count them as they turned straight back to cover on seeing me Male Yellowhammer singing in fields Dipper Common Tern
Great Crested Grebe with 5 young another pair incubating Mute Swans with 4 young Mallard with 6 young Sparrowhawk incubating single Lapwing in field also singles of yellowhammer, Whitethroat, Grey Heron and Blackcap
Mute Swan still sitting on nest on reserve with the Cob busying himself chasing a Canada Goose almost relentlessly on Adlington Reservoir. Grey Wagtail feeding fledged young in Arley Woods, Dippers still feeding young in nest at usual place, plus a second pair further along the River carrying nest material. pair of Sparrowhawks nest building, both birds bringing twigs in. pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers feeding young in nest. A pair of Nuthatches were also making an old woodpecker hole smaller in the same tree earlier on in spring and were constantly dive bombing the Great Spotted Woodpeckers as they were chipping out their new nest hole, no sign of the Nuthatches today. pair of Tree Creepers 2 pairs of Great Crested Grebes, one pair still incubating on Adlington although this could be a replacement clutch as they should have hatched by now Moorhen and Coot nests predated 3 Grey Herons 2 Male Mandarins on reserve
2 pairs of Great Crested Grebes. one pair still incubating Mute Swan on nest on Reserve Dippers feeding young in nest usual place pair of Sparrowhawks copulating, male past food to female on plucking post and waited for her to start feeding before spying his chance still a small finch flock containing a couple of Yellowhammers feeding in fields Long Tailed Tit nest been predated Moorhen on nest
small flock of finches on way down to Reservoirs from lay bye included at least 10 Yellowhammers, Skylark in song here too pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers near reserve pair of Mandarins on reserve mating also singles of Goldcrest and Nuthatch and Willow Tit heard Great Crested Grebe, Long Tailed Tit and Magpies all busy nest buiding single Buzzard over, 2 Curlews over and calling, along with the Skylark this has to be one of the best of bird calls/songs 3 Dippers on the River Douglas couple of other birders to talk too and hardly another soul about, cracking morning
Nice afternoon walk from Platt lane around nature reserve taking in the River Douglas. Rooks and Jackdaws. Pheasant. Flock of about 30 mainly Chaffinch with odd Goldfinch and yellowhammer. All in farm field. Coal tit Jay Pair of Dippers on Dougy. Buzzard over. Grey heron on nature reserve and Great crested grebe on Arley. Walk back to Platt lane. Flock of about 100 Rooks and Jackdaws now gathered in field and on wires. 6 curlew over.
Mixed flock of chaffinch, yellowhammer, tree sparrow & linnet in stubble of way down to nature reserve 2 kingfisher ( one showing well for almost an hour) 4 Mandarin ( 2M 2F) Great Crested Grebe Buzzard Teal
Two of the Coot on Worthington Res today bore rings, (one just a metal BTO ring, the other also had a darvic) A Black-Headed Gull was present which had been ringed in Poland Also on Worthington Res 165 Mallard, 33 Canada Geese, 3 Cormorant, 13 Tufted Duck and 2 Mute Swan
Regarding the ongoing discussion re. the boundary. The line across Adlington reservoir constitutes the line of Buckow Brook which was the boundary between Adlington (now Chorley) and Worthington (Wigan) when it was dammed in 1858! It had flowed into the River Douglas roughly at the point where the present overflow channel enters the river. The river itself was then diverted into the tunnel. It had previously run through the area now occupied by the Arley and Worthington reservoirs. So just a fraction now lies within Lancs but it has always been regarded as GM for recording purposes, although I suspect the issue has never been considered.
Two Mandarins, a Kingfisher and two Teal on Arley Lodge NR this morning. Seven Tufted Ducks on Adlington Reservoir. Singles of Sparrowhawk, Grey Wagtail and Willow Tit, and two Treecreepers and four Nuthatches in the vicinity as well. There was a flighty flock of Yellowhammers and Chaffinches around the stubble field off Chorley Road, but no sign of the Bramblings today..
I think Neil's point was, that with the previous GM Recorder, there had been some sort of dispensation or agreement to include the whole of it in the GM recording area.
Nothing has changed here in relation to bird recording Keith and this is still the case as it's only a very thin sliver of the reservoir which resides in Lancs and seperating bird records for both counties would be an absolute nightmare
In a listing perspective though, things are less simple. If we could stretch the GM boundary for one location then the same should also be true for any other location too. The Winter Hill Snow Bunting was within a literal stones throw of being GM at times, yet county listers couldn't stretch the boundary to include it. It's that level playing field again
keith mills wrote: I think Neil's point was, that with the previous GM Recorder, there had been some sort of dispensation or agreement to include the whole of it in the GM recording area.
In point of fact, the "GM recording area" is just that; a recording area based upon a governmental administative area. Lancashire is a "True and Historic" county, the boundary (unchanged for over a thousand years), extends from the River Mersey in the south, to the River Duddon in the north. The boundary exists today, has never been abolished, nor never will...
Here endeth the lesson. Enjoy the birds first and foremost, but always remember, and have pride in, your home county
GM boundary a bit tight on Adlington. Neil thinks that the whole Reservoir can be counted as GM. Is this so?
Part of it is actually in Lancashire by rights. Quite why they run a boundary through a reservoir seems a little daft though
I took the Street atlas and the OS map with me, both clearly show parts of the east side of the reservoir in Lancs. ( although the maps differ a little)
Thankfully both Mandarin and Kingfisher were seen on the GM side of Adlington reservoir!( but we had to wait on the Mandarin.)
I think Neil's point was, that with the previous GM Recorder, there had been some sort of dispensation or agreement to include the whole of it in the GM recording area.
__________________
Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
10 to 11.30 this am: No sign of the Egyptian Goose. Spent most of time checking Adlington and Arley Reservoirs. but also had a quick look over Worthington. However Mandarin Duck...4 Drakes ..1 Female, swimming in Adlington. Kingfisher showing well at same reservoir. Rooks/Yellowhammer/Skylarks in the fields down to here from the A49.
Nice chat with Neil Southworth..the Chorley Recorder(also after the Goose).
I must have just missed you Keith. I also met up with Neil Southworth and Allan Rimmer (I think) who showed me where the Mandarins were - I could only see one hiding in the vegetation on the far side of the 'nature reserve' part of Adlington Reservoir as Neil called it. A kingfisher was also showing well here too.
Later I saw 70+ Rooks in the field by the lay-by plus a few Yellowhammers - no Brambling today though.
I couldn't see the Egyptian Goose anywhere even after checking the pond down by where the old bleach works used to be. I did notice down here how many of the cottages had feeders in the trees outside the fronts of their houses and there was a plethora of tits and finches as well as a Great Spotted Woodpecker here.
I also met a very nice couple here who showed me their back garden which was packed full of similar birds on feeders and in the trees and it resembled Bunting Hide a Penny on a good day!
-- Edited by Martyn Jones on Thursday 26th of January 2012 06:54:47 PM
10 to 11.30 this am: No sign of the Egyptian Goose. Spent most of time checking Adlington and Arley Reservoirs. but also had a quick look over Worthington. However Mandarin Duck...4 Drakes ..1 Female, swimming in Adlington. Kingfisher showing well at same reservoir. Rooks/Yellowhammer/Skylarks in the fields down to here from the A49.
Nice chat with Neil Southworth..the Chorley Recorder(also after the Goose).
GM boundary a bit tight on Adlington. Neil thinks that the whole Reservoir can be counted as GM. Is this so?
-- Edited by keith mills on Thursday 26th of January 2012 02:48:51 PM
__________________
Rumworth List 2019, species to date: 63 Latest: Sand Martin, Reed Bunting, Redshank, Pink-footed Goose, Curlew.
The Egyptian Goose was on Adlington Reservoir and was still there at 13.45. Other birds on the lakes were 21 Tufted, 5 Gadwall, 2 Mandarin, 2 Great crested grebes and 1 Cormorant, along with 2 Kingfishers. In the woods were Dipper (4), Trecreeper. Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Buzzard. On the stubble fields to the west were a mobile flock of 300+ finches and buntings mainly Chaffinches and Yellowhammers but also a few Reed Buntings and Tree Sparrows plus at least 3 Bramblings.
flock of approx 150 finches feeding on stubble fields near layby, opp turning for crown. at least 30 Yellowhammers 10 Manderins flew in at 1.30, 6 males 4 females 13 tufted ducks singles of Bullfinch, Nuthatch and Cormorant pair of Dippers on River Douglas 30 plus Long Tailed Tits
Spent an hour around the lakes this morning with my daughter and saw the following:
Loads of mallards with some call ducks and what look like mallard/call duck hybrids
20 tufted
1 great crested grebe
2 canada geese
Loads of coots an moorhens
1 cormorant
Loads of black headed gulls
1 jackdaw
Various tits, robins, blackbirds etc
Unfortunately no mandarin ducks or wigeon
12 Mandarin Ducks and a Kingfisher were present on Arley Lodge, but the surprise of the day was a female Wigeon with 12 Tufted Ducks on Arley Reservoir. Only my second record here, the other being a male on Worthington Reservoir (4/1/09). A pair of Dippers and a Grey Wagtail were on the River Douglas, and a Buzzard overhead. Had superb close views of a male Sparrowhawk perched on a branch eating his fresh kill.. 2 Treecreepers 2 Nuthatches 1 Great Crested Grebe 1 Little Grebe
BEWARE While doing the midweek walk with Wigan RSPB group yesterday 2 Cars were broken into on the lower car park 1 was from our group and the other one we could not find the owner,happened btw 09:45 and 11:30.
Quick visit this morning in monsoon rain Birds of note 19 Tufted Duck pr Grey Wagtails 6 Call Ducks just been on googlke to see what kind but no luck yet
50+ mallard 34 canada geese 12 moorhen 3 great crested grebe 5 cormorant coot black headed gull common gull tufted duck 2 mandarin
walk around woods and river douglas 2 dipper very active watched them for 20mins from bridge over douglas long tailed tit great tit blue tit wren robin blackbird magpie wood pigeon buzzard ( perched in tree very vocal) brief sighting of nuthatch crow
Hi Jimmy had a walk round this morning saw a young great crested grebe with parent birds on main reservoir, 3 kingfisher, 1 little grebe 1 female mandarin, 1 cormorant 2 mute swans 2 treecreeper although it could have been the same bird ( seen 10mins and 300yds away) 1 common gull about 8 great crested grebe, 1 grey wagtail, plenty tufted duck, mallards and black headed gulls 7 canada geese and 1 willow warbler.
Thought I'd have a wander here this afternoon to try and increase my borough count. Also managed to dodge the showers too.
Worthington Reservoir Good numbers of Mallard, Black Headed Gull and 1 Tufted Duck
Adlington Reservoir 1 Mandarin (f)- borough first 1 Kingfisher Coal Tit Blue Tit Great Tit Nuthatch Treecreeper Juvenile Grey Wagtail Plus the Mallards, etc
Arley 1 Mandarin (f) Mallards, etc.
-- Edited by Nick Isherwood on Tuesday 16th of August 2011 05:18:22 PM
Female Mandarin with six small young, first on Worthington and then Arley, plus another, almost full grown, young sitting, bizarrely, in a disused nest on Arley.
Total of eight Great Crested Grebes ( including one on nest, Worthington) pair with three very young (Adlington) and a pair displaying (Arley).
Three Kingfishers - two on Adlington and a third catching fish twice on River Douglas just above bridge in Arley Woods and flying upstream.
Dipper on River Douglas this side of bridge, standing motionless for a good five minutes. First time we've seen a non-dipping Dipper - thought it may have been a young bird but couldn't see plumage well in poor light.