Crompton Lodges

44 Tufted Duck, 29 Mute Swan, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Moorhen


River Croal Weir

Female Wood Duck
(has missing primaries on right wing)

Only things of note
Three common Tern (2 Juv) few tufted ducks, and Great Crested Grebe
Bird Hide shut at midday, bridge still burnt and sign still thrown in lodge

This place is looking tired with many things not repaired for months or years, litter all over the shop, signs thrown in the lodge, and a bird hide that has spasmodic opening times. Nonetheless family of 4 Sparrowhawks in the woods at least, Oystercatcher, Pied Wagtail, Blackcap, Sand Martin, Grey Heron and two great crested grebes who were nesting last time here but who appear to have been evicted by coots

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 23rd of July 2012 09:45:01 AM

The 3 pairs of Mute Swans that built nests at Crompton lodges all failed to raise any Cygnets, but on a brighter note the pair on Smiths Lodge, Darcy Lever have 6 well grown Cygnets.

Crompton Lodges

67 Mute swan
41 Tufted Duck
Fem Wood Duck on river at weekend

Yesterday at 7:30pm:

A Pair of Common Terns and 15 Swallows present.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Two Blackcap Chiffchaff 2 Heron 2 Great Crested Grebe Jay Coal tit this am

Goosanders lodges, river and canal
coal tits
Goldcrest
Greatcrested Grebe
Three Greatspotted Woodpeckers Nob End
Sparrowhawk
fly over cormorant

Only things of note were
One female goosander, three great crested grebes, heron, and a pied wagtail among usuals

Of Note
Pair of Shovelor on main lodge, four goosanders each on the two back lodges, Great Crested Grebe, Pied Wagtails, coal tit, fly over cormorant plenty of singing Song Thrushes.

Late this am :

A single Pink-footed Goose with the Canada's
Scruffy and looks bemused, but no rings and not taking Bread.

Not much on a closed to traffic park and very frozen lodge
2 Shovellor Heron 2 Coal tits all usuals

First Light
6 Goosanders on main lodge, 2 on fishing lodge 2 on river
Long Tailed Tits everywhere
Heron and Kingfisher on back lodge
One possibly two tree creepers high up on tree in woods at back of rear lodge
Usuals

A clear frosty morning for the Saturday morning walk with Bolton RSPB.

The best of the usual stuff :

Buzzard...1 in tree near river.
Sparrowhawk... 1 over low
Goosander... 7 (with 3 drakes)
Song Thrush....3 heard with 2 seen.
Mistle Thrush...1
Bullfinch...pair
Grey Heron...3 or 4
Among the Gulls were at least:
Common Gull ...2
Herring Gull ....2
Lbb Gull...1
Cormorants... 2 over.


-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 14th of January 2012 01:19:10 PM

A quick walk round in the gloom today produced:

1 Cormorant on the smelly and very fast flowing River Irwell
1 Kestrel over and on the trees behind the river.
1 Song Thrush singing high up in a tall tree in front of the locked hide.
15 Goosander on the smaller lodge at the back (7m 8f)
1 Juvenile Heron on smaller lodge
3 Goosander on main lodge (2m 1f)

All the massess of usual regulars (Mutes Swans, Coots, Mallards, Canada Geese, Moorhens) but no treecreepers or Goldcrests that I was hoping to see. A few Tits and Robins were singing and calling the wooded areas along the walkways.

Late PM Crompton Ldges

Shoveler Pair
Goosander 10
G.C. Grebe 1
Tufted Duck 38
Mute Swan 60
Few Moorhen
Lots Canada Goose,Mallard and Coot.

Late posting for yesterday (4/11/11)

A Grey Wagtail was on the river pebble banks near the red bridge. Great views down to three or four metres - didn't seem bothered about me. Fantastic colours and long tail. Unfortunately the light wasn't great for photos, but I did try.

The usual waterfowl were present on a walk round the lodges with a flock of long-tailed tits, two great tits, two robins being the highlights in the wooded areas and two different (juvenile?) herons on the river and one on a lodge.

Not much Two Goldcrest Coal tit and 50 Mute Swans heron 2 pied wagtail and one white wagtail.

55 mute swans, about hundred canada geese, (Swans seem a lots happier with less of these feathered monsters) 2 Great Crested Grebes,15 tufted ducks a young heron the male goldeneye and a cormerant that was about it.

Quick visit this morning. Usual Goldeneye on the Sunblest shores of Lake Crompton. Few tufted ducks and three common tern, two of which were juvenile. Loads of Canada Geese that have taken over around the car park side to the point that swans are restricted to the other shore and seem to be decreasing in numbers. Even humans are excluded from the area by a mass of the feathered monsters. Time for a cull? Lots of young coots and a juvenile Heron.

Not much really, one common tern, twelve tufted ducks have reappeared, the male goldeneye gets even tamer, female teal on back lodge, two young heron squabbling and a dipper flying up the river towards the weir.

Hi Simon.
I saw it fly low over the south end of Nob End LNR towards Little Lever. I think it had been feeding nearby and was flushed by a dog-walker. Hope they become more regular in the area.
Henry.

06/07/2011 - 5am-10am - Crompton Lodges, Nob End LNR and Darcy Lever areas covered:

61 Mute Swans
189 Canada Geese
2 Great Crested Grebes + juv
c120 Mallards
1 Moorhen + juvs
22 Coots
1 Tawny Owl
8 Sand Martins
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Pied Wagtail
1 Green Woodpecker
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 Garden Warbler - at top end of Darcy Lever near model aircraft field
6 Blackcaps
2 Willow Warblers
3 Chiffchaffs
2 Whitethroats
2 Treecreepers
8 Coal Tits
7 Jays
1 Siskin - flew over
2 Bullfinches

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Wednesday 6th of July 2011 11:53:27 AM

On central lodge raft has come loose and hit the far bank. Pleasantly surprised to see one juvenile great crested grebe chick on main lodge with parents, considering the abuse the coots give the adult pair over the past three years, this is an achievement. A pair of bull finches, two black caps in the woods, dipper heard on river and sand martins near canal viaduct at Nob End. The male Goldeneye appears to have gone.

male Goldeneye still present today.