At 4 years old they should be old enough to breed

the mute swan nest was on the left of the sheldon pool as you look towards the garden centre on the edge of the willows in was still there on easter monday but as was said before SOME dog walkers treat the area as there own we saw LRP only because a dog walker was on the main part of the golf course behind the invisible fence with keep out signs
do you think the swans where not quite old enough to sucsessfully breed ??????????

Thanks Steve. These appear to be brother and sister although the situation is a bit complicated as there was a menage a trois (excuse my French) with a second male attending the female so they might only be half brother/sister!

easter monday 9.15 to 11.00ish

sheldon pool
dunnock, canada goose (6), mallard, house sparrow (4) two male two female,

golf course / rayner lane
jackdaw, carrion crow, lapwing, skylark, wood pigeon, skylark.

moss lane
wren, bullfinch, long tailed tit, reed bunting, grey heron ( in flight)

rayner lane / golf course
sparrowhawk, robin,

mockerridge pool
collard dove, goldfinch, moorhen.

path across golf course veiwing from Heavy plant crossing signs
ringed plover, little ringed plover

patch total todate 40 species in three weeks

nigel charlesworth wrote:

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.....Anyway I thought the big pool could be refered to as Sheldon pool, the one opposite mockeridge garden centre, wait for it mockeridge pool the ones on the golf course who knows

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Sounds good to me Nigel. I was thinking of exactly the same names. Best not get too attached to them as they might disappear if the golf course ever gets finished.

Gary

saw the little grebes last year not this year yet!!!
as for yobs with guns i for one will phone the police straight away not seen anybody down there doing anything like thatjust one bloke sunday with a german shepherd who though it was funny to let the dog chase the geese the male swan thought different and i had no camera with me.
Anyway I thought the big pool could be refered to as Sheldon pool, the one opposite mockeridge garden centre, wait for it mockeridge pool the ones on the golf course who knows

hi steve
good point the pool/pond i have been refering to is the large one between rayner lane and sheldon way.
are there names for these pools or do they need some so we all know where we are supposed to look
thanks for your info will use them in future been down tonight nothing out of ordinary just chaffinch as a new patch bird for me on moss lane at the feeder

6.00pm - 6.45pm
took my son down to help put up some feeders and fat balls at the motorway fence site and one in the hawthorns near the farm/stables

mockeridge pool :-
could not see rings on the two swans one on nest the other is patroling the pool chasing away everything that dares to enter is quite fun to watch the postures he does. canada geese, mallard, coot, moorhen

golf course:-
skylark, woodpigeon (50+), ringed plover, starling,

does any one know the names of the lanes that run against Lord Sheldon Way and down to the farm??????????????????????

Posted by NIgel Charlesworth, 05.04.09

up date for ashton moss these are my sightings so far
29/03/2009
nigel charlesworth and phil logan
mockeridge pool area
magpie, mute swan (2),mallard (6) moorhen, coot, canada goose (2) black headed gull, lapwing (6), feral pigeon, skylark
on the lane
kestrel, blackbird, bullfinch, longtailed tit, reed bunting, carrion crow, wood pigeon,grey heron
mockeridge nusery end
mistle thrush, wren, greenfinch, dunnock,collard dove, stock dove,
on golf couse (up the divide path)
linnet, and jackdaw.

05/04/2009
nigel charlesworth
mockeridge pool area
mute swan (2) (1 on nest), canada goose, mallard, moorhen, coot, lapwing, kittewake (juv) (report email to ian mc)
golf course
skylark, LRP(2), golden plover(1), wood pigeon,
on the lane
grey heron, carrion crow, jackdaw, dunnock, goldfinch, magpie, long tailed tit,
blackbird, common buzzard(2) (over golf course HIGH),
mockeridge nusery end
house sparrow, linnet, greenfinch, robin, collard dove, wren

local patch list stands @ 33 species with only two outings and still the summer stuff to come could be in for some great outings

Sunday 15-3-09 9.30-11.30

Reed Bunting male
Ringed Plover 5
Little Grebe
Mute Swan 2 confirmed as 'SHD' and 'SHB'

plus usual stuff

Lapwing
Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Great Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
House Sparrow
Robin
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Mallard
Coot
Moorhen
Woodpigeon
Starling
Blackbird
Canada Goose
Black-headed Gull

Gary

Hi Gary,
Mute swan SHB was originally ringed as a female cygnet in 2005 at Cheadle.
Thanks for the report!
Steve Christmas

Saturday 14-2-09 11.00-12.30

Skylark
Meadow Pipit
Long-tailed Tit
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
House Sparrow
Robin
Dunnock
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Mallard
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Starling
Blackbird

No sign of the two Mute Swans that have always been here before.

Gary

Sunday 1-2-09 11.30-13.00

Cormorant flying over
Goldfinch
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Black-Headed Gull
Mute Swan
Mallard
Moorhen
Woodpigeon
Starling
Lapwing
Blackbird

Gary

Sunday 10-8-08 11.00-12.30

Blackbird
Starling
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Canada Goose
Carrion Crow
Blue Tit
Robin
Song Thrush
Willow Warbler
Goldfinch
Swallow


Also the following butterflies:-

Gatekeeper
Large White
Speckled Wood

Not very interesting, I know

Gary

But the congestion charge boundary will run right through Ashton Moss - it could be the most expensive place to birdwatch.

Let's hope they retain a few footpaths and a few areas where birds can breed amongst all the ugly warehouse-type sheds they are building.

Steve

The same two swans were at the same site last May, but didn't stay to breed to my knowledge. The Little Grebes managed to raise one young on that pool. As Andrew says, it's a pretty good birding site in a most unpromising area.

Keep watching, Steve