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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> GREATER MANCHESTER BIRD SIGHTINGS -> Watergrove Reservoir
Post Info TOPIC: Watergrove Reservoir
Steve Suttill


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RE: Watergrove Resr
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From a Greater Manchester perspective, surely Watergrove is the high arctic! It's always seemed like that when I've ventured up there!!

Steve

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Steve "Make your birdwatching count!"
Steve Atkins


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Hi Steve,
I had assumed these birds were still on there way north to breed somewhere up in the high arctic. They certainly don't breed at Watergrove! A couple may have been 1st summers (i.e. in their 2nd calendar year) as the head pattern was dullish. However the majority was in spanking new breeding plumage. Only 3 birds were still present this evening. Last year a pair turned up on about 23rd May but were gone the following day.

Steve

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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
Steve Suttill


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What are all these Ringed Plovers doing here (and elsewhere in the county)? Seems early for post-breeding flocks to me, though I could be wrong (I often am!).

I was up in Scotland at the start of the month and they were already on eggs or had young then. Are these birds still migrating north and, if so, can they be identified as a more northern race?

Steve

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Steve Atkins


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The Barwits (females) were present from approx. 10:00 hrs until at least 11:00 hrs bathing and preening. It's amazing that this species has occurred here for the 2nd year running given that there were no records before last year. When I returned at 12:30 they had gone. However 10 Ringed Plover were feeding on the spit close into the club house, probably brought down by the murky weather. A record count for this site and probably the highest count in Rochdale since 1965 (unless anyone knows differently) when 16 were at Blackstone Edge Resr on 22nd August.

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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
Ian McKerchar


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2 Bar-tailed Godwits this afternoon on the spit in front of the club house this afternoon and a Garden Warbler singing.

Info thanks to Steve Atkins

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Ian McKerchar


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An epic bike ride around Watergrove Reservoir today included all the surrounding hills (and what a slog they were to get to!), Crook Hill (and moor), Hades (that's what it said on the map) and Brown Wardle Hill (only half of it in GM), then around each and every path I could find elsewhere. Unfortunately, it was relatively quiet but the weather and views were fantastic,

Wheatear- 22
Raven- 1 on Crook Hill being mobbed by Crows
Lesser Redpoll- 3+ around the boat house

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Steve Atkins


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A cracking male Ring Ouzel this evening flew past at close range and landed in the top of a Larch, above the compensation lagoon, on the east side of the resr. It then flew north and was lost to view behind the trees near the memorial garden. Otherwise it has been very quiet here so far this month. Migrants are late arriving and only in small number , hardly surprising given the awful weather. A circuit of the whole valley last Sunday produced just one Wheatear. The first Willow Warbler arrived on 13th April and only two have been heard singing.

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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
tonywilkinson


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Nice records Steve especially the Grey Partridge, Snipe and Stonechat.
Got in the 200 club on Sunday; 199 Dippers and 1 Grey Wagtail.

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Steve Atkins


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Watergrove Reservoir
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37 species recorded today for the Bird Atlas / GM Breeding Atlas including pairs of the following:
Great Crested Grebe
Oystercatcher
Coot (2 pairs)
Tufted Duck
Grey Partidge
Also seen 4 Snipe, a Stonechat, a Sand Martin (the first of the year was here on 30th March), a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk.
The highest breeding evidence code was Curlew and Wood Pigeon displaying.
Did anyone get more than 37 specie? You can't count them unless you have / are going to submit the records to the BTO website http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/index.htm
biggrin.gif

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 6th of May 2012 09:34:11 PM

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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
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