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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> GREATER MANCHESTER BIRD SIGHTINGS -> KINGSWAY (Business Park), Rochdale.
Post Info TOPIC: KINGSWAY (Business Park), Rochdale.
Matt Potter


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KINGSWAY (Business Park), Rochdale.
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Today from 12.30 - 2pm

Lapwings - 35+
Skylark - around 50 ish
Bill Myerscough - 1
Ringed Plover - 2
Jackdaw - 30+
Crow - 10+
Golden Plover - 2
Kestrel - 1
Linnet - at least 40
Starling - 30ish
Pied Wagtail - 15 ish
White Wagtail - 1







Lovely to finall catch up with Bill!! biggrin.gif

-- Edited by Matt Potter on Friday 19th of March 2010 02:28:36 PM

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Matt Potter


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Quick visit last night at 4.30.

Lapwing - 10
Ringed Plover - 1
Crow 15
Jackdaw 23
Pied Wagtail 12
Skylark Flock 60+ as Bill M spotted.
Pheasant 1
Starling - Lots

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Bill Myerscough


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18th March.

Just a quick visit early afternoon.

Once again a large feeding flock of Skylarks on rough grassland near the second roundabout - probably c60 birds again. eyepopping.gif Also 140+ Starling, 3+ Linnet, 7+ Pied Wagtail and I was able to watch the nice sighting of a single Golden Plover bathing in one of the shallow ponds on the mud flats.aww.gif


Cheers,

Bill.

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Matt Potter


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4.30 - 5.00pm Tonight

Jackdaw - 4
Crow - 12
Starling - 50
Lapwing - 36
Skylark - 2 Singing and displaying
Pied Wagtail - 20
Linnet - 8
Teal - 2, 1m and 1f

Lovely to meet Steve Atkins the other week here.

Its a great urban site and its a shame that it will all be developed one day as am sure it would get a great number of species, well more than it has already!

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 16th of March 2010 10:16:35 PM

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Bill Myerscough


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28th February.

A lovely and unexpected spectacle this morning of birds on passage. A loose but vocal flock of Skylarks came in from an easterly direction and after a brief bit of noisily swirling about they all plummeted down on the mudflats here and became almost invisible! It was hard to count birds accurately as it all happened fairly quickly but 60 Skylarks would be a fairly conservative estimate.

22nd February.

c50 Teal, c70 Starling, 14 LBB Gull, 3 Herring Gull and c40 Jackdaw.

Matt - a belated response to your last post. If you have a look at my post on this thread from 10/08/09 this will explain whereabouts to look. You can also use a series of footpaths that lead across the site but these are regularly subject to closure as developments take place on the business park.

Cheers,

Bill.

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Matt Potter


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22/2/10

A quick stop to have a look on my way to work.

I only stopped at the roundabout opposite the brick building with the green roof. Is there anywhere else specific to look or is all the birding from the road?

Anyway,

BHG - 60 ish
Comon Gull - 10
LBBG - 8
GBBG - 1
Lapwing - 30
Crow - 4
Jackdaw - 7
Starling - 55
Skylark - 2 singing

Shame the place is going to get developed as it could be a great site, and its size could pick up some great birds.

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Bill Myerscough


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20th February.

3 Skylarks singing this morning made it feel a bit more like spring, even though large areas are still frozen over.

Also:- 7 Moorhen, c50 Lapwing, c30 Starling, c20 Jackdaw, 1 Siskin over, 5 Goldfinch over and c28 Teal. 1 Chaffinch singing.

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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8th February.

Mid-morning - c55 Lapwing foraging on the mudflats smile.gif - first sizeable flock of this species I have seen anywhere for several weeks.

Cheers,

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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4th February.

Quick visit mid-morning - largely iced-over and with a light dusting of snow.

3 Teal, 3 Moorhen, 15 Mallard on the only unfrozen water.

A Meadow Pipit flew over and a small flock of c15 Goldfinch moved through. 18 Carrion Crow were scavenging on the mudflats/rubbly areas, as were 3 Skylarks. 2 of the Skylarks had a brief dispute fight.gifbye.gif and 1 got chased away by the other. This date for Skylark is even earlier than last year when birds were reported on 20/02/09. Still the early bird gets the pick of the best territories...........or more likely at the moment severe frostbite! hmm.gif

Cheers,

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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23rd January.

Early pm - a first visit to this site for a good while - not a lot about though.cry.gif

1 Kingfisher on one of the overflow ponds. smile.gif

2 Common Gulls amongst about c120 Black-headed Gulls, 11 Lapwings. 4 Fieldfare and 1 Mistle Thrush were foraging on some freshly turned over ground and 1 Kestrel hunting. A Cormorant flew over.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Saturday 23rd of January 2010 04:30:08 PM

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Mike Cooper


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Briefly Fri 4/12 13:00 - 13:30 sunny / cloudy spells, cold

Common Gull 5
B hd Gull c. 25
LBb Gull 8 over

Lapwing 3 on pools & 20 over

Splendid male Stonechat

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Paul Cliff


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22 skylark jizzed by me and dave winnard
45 mallard
10 greenfich
12 reed bunting
8 linnet
10 common gull
c70 bh gull



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Mike Cooper


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Mon 9/11 13:15 - 14:00 (after seeing the GNDiver at Hollingworth Lake)

Moorhen 2
MAllard MMMF
Reed Bunting c. 12
Mipits 2 + 1
Skylark 1 over
Pheasant MM
B hd Gull c. 40 foraging at school and back
C Gull 5 with above

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Bill Myerscough


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Couple of visits on 31/10.

Mid-morning - c260 gulls loafing on the mud flats - c55 Common, 2 LBB and the remainder Black-headed. Also at least 3 Skylarks and c5 Linnet.

Afternoon - had a good wander around and came across a few hidden pools that I didn't know existed - flushed 11 Snipe in the process. This site must be a possibility for Jack Snipe this winter? Also c110 Starlings, 4+ Reed Buntings, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Redwing amongst the double figure count of Blackbirds feeding on hawthorn berries, 13 Pied Wagtails together - wonder if they might be roosting in one of the trees near to one of the industrial units? confuse.gif A small flock of c15 Goldfinch.

Not a single Teal!cry.gif

Cheers,

Bill.


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Simon Wild


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Wed 28/10/09. 8 - 9 am.

Just off Kingsway Business Park (Ellen Road Steam House Chimney). A Peregrine was seen roosting near the top of the chimney.

A Peregrine was regularly seen roosting here last Winter (October - Jan). This coincided with sightings at Kingsway Business Park a short distance away. This is the first time since January that it has returned (if it is the same one?)

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Mike Chorley


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Why not? It's getting better numbers & variety than at Strinesdale!no.gifdisbelief.gifcry.gif

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Judith Smith


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We'll be counting this site for WeBS soon!

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Bill Myerscough


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25th October.
7.40 am

c140 Teal eyepopping.gif, at least 3 Wigeon and c90 Mallards all together on one of the small ponds here. When I first started counting them there didn't apper to be this many ducks here but something un-nerved them and brought many more ducks out of the emergent vegetation and onto the waters surface. I made the mistake of trying to get a better vantage point to look through the Teal for something rarer - ever the optimist! - but they spotted me and were gone. frustrated.gif These ducks only appear to be here early morning before the dog-walkers........and clumsy birdwatchers like me clueless.gifgiggle.gif...... frighten them off!!

c180 Canada Geese on the mudflats.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 25th of October 2009 11:53:40 AM

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Bill Myerscough


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18th October.

c45 Teal on the ponds and c70 Feral Pigeon on the mudflats. Not a lot else bored.gif.....as you may well have gathered from the fact that I was reduced to counting pigeons!yawn.gifyawn.gif

Cheers,

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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16th October.

Exactly 10 Wigeon on one of the shallow pools late morning. smile.gif

Also a loose flock of c70 Carrion Crow, c25 Jackdaw and c30 Starling. 4 Stock Dove, 3 Reed Bunting and 1 Tufted Duck were also seen on just a brief visit.

Cheers,

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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10th October.

9.15 - 9.45 am

c110 Teal eyepopping.gif, 3 Wigeon and c50 Linnet.

Cheers,

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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4th October.

c30 Teal, 1 Tufted Duck and 1 Snipe and some Siskins flying over at 7.30 am.

Forgot doh.gif to mention....16 Snipe, 1 Golden Plover and c20 Teal on 27/9.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Sunday 4th of October 2009 02:19:56 PM

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Bill Myerscough


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2nd October.

Some decent sized Skylark flocks here lately....well at least for Rochdale anyway! - c25 this morning and c20 yesterday morning (1/10).

Also c80 Starling on 2/10 and c180 Canada Geese on 1/10. A few Teal on both days.

Not a lot else yawn.gifcry.gif

Cheers,

Bill.

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Henry Cook


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22/09/2009 - No Rosy Pastor in amongst the starlings during a brief scan in the morning, but a good 12+ Skylarks and 8 Lapwings visible.

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Bill Myerscough


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This site holds some very good sized flock counts of commoner species.

21/9.

c70 Jackdaw and c15 Teal.

19/9.

c40 Skylark, c60 Linnet, c35 Carrion Crow, c160 Canada Geese, c80 Feral Pigeon and at about 4.00 pm there were c400 Starlings on and around the school and the playing fields opposite the first roundabout nearest to the garden centre. Maybe the Rose-coloured Starling was hiding invisible.gif amongst that lot? laughing.gif

Cheers,

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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18th September.

Early morning visit.

An totally unexpected count of c85 Teal on the pond just off the roundabout nearest to the garden centre. eyepopping.gifeyepopping.gif I counted at least 80 on the ground and some had already disappeared in flight over the nearest hummock - so there were probably even more than this!

2 Snipe in the same spot and 1 female Tufted Duck on the pond at the other end of the business park.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Friday 18th of September 2009 01:16:50 PM

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Bill Myerscough


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16th September.

16 flighty Teal.
9 Skylarks together.
The only wader I could see was a single Snipe. cry.gif
c60 Linnet today. There was an absolutely enormous flock of finches here on 2nd September - they were seen at distance and provided a great spectacle, twisting and turning in the air. I estimated there must have been at least 350 birds minimum in the flock, although they were too far away to identify with certainty - probably a mix of Linnet and Goldfinch?

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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29th August.

4 adult Shelduck smile.gif on one of the shallow ponds at 9.30 am but they had gone cry.gif when I called in again at 11.30 whilst on the way home.

Not a lot else about really - a few Sand Martins and handful of Linnets, some Black-headed Gulls and 2 Common Gulls were with the Shelducks (but they had also gone by late morning!) and a large uncounted flock of Canada Geese.

No waders!! This site is getting really overgrown and may now have passed its best?crying.gif

Cheers,

Bill.

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Dave Phillips


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Still dozens of Linnets around and 50+ Goldfinch today. Also Reed buntings (2), many Swallows and House Martins and even a couple of Swifts. Highlight of the visit was a long battle between 5 Magpies plus 3 Jays versus a pair of Sparrowhawks. The object of all parties was possession of a dead tree. The movement of all the birds, but particularly the swoops of the Sparrowhawks was fascinating to watch. The Magpies and Jays seemed to be getting the upper hand at one stage but both hawks working together were very resiliant eventually chasing the Magpies and Jays away before returning to the tree in triumph. It was interesting to compare the size difference of male and female Sparrowhawks at relatively close quarters
Cheers Dave Phillips

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David Winnard


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Well done Bill! an amazing amount these days for Rochdale! By 'weeds' i assume you mean 'Wild Flowers' wink.gif of which there have been some interesting ones at this site.

Dave

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Bill Myerscough


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Late post from 21st August.

A flock of c160 eyepopping.gif Linnet feeding on weed seeds.

Bill.

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brian fielding


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the ruddy shelduck is still around, it is on the park lake in queens park, heywood this morning.

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Bill Myerscough


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14th August.

7.00am - hardly anything of any interest about - just 7 distant airborne waders and 300+ Canada Geese. bored.gifcry.gif

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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Archie wrote:

Hi Bill
Where abouts on the business park do you get access to view the ducks and waders
Archie





Hi Archie,

Officially you are not supposed to wander off from the pavements bordering the roads which currently carry traffic through the business park. I have to say that I have seen other people wandering off here, there and everywhere.... although it goes without saying this is something that I personally have never done giggle.gifgiggle.gif
Seriously though, if you approaching from the Kingsway/Gordon Riggs end, there is a pool that can just about viewed from the first roundabout. From the second roundabout there is a large expanse of flat land that can be viewed quite easily - this area has, in times of higher rainfall, become flooded and sometimes holds many smaller pools and at different times of the year may hold waders, gulls, geese or flocks of passerines. This is usually the best spot and has generally had the best sightings so far. At the other end of the park and just before you get to junction 21 of the motorway there is a large pool, where water levels can change very quickly, this can be accessed via Harbour Lane and Ashfield Lane which are off Elizabethan Way.

The site management team, quite rightly, have security in place because they have had some considerable problems with travellers, off-roaders (quad & scrambling bikes), theft and fly-tippers. The site for birds/wildlife is only going to be temporary and it has become much more overgrown in just a year and even if not developed soon may become less attractive to some types of birds fairly quickly. If you do birdwatch off the roundabouts, you do need to keep your wits about you if carrying optical gear, as some unsavoury characters do pass through the business park in cars and I have once or twice been quite worried when groups of youths in cars have stopped and asked what I am doing.

If you want to meet up there sometime to have a look at the site, just send me a pm.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Monday 10th of August 2009 09:28:44 PM

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Mark Rigby


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And back south over Castleshaw at 1900hrs last night in 2 formations. One plane then did a loop-the-loop over the reservoir and went back into formation.

There was an airshow in Blackpool yesterday and they did several flypasts,hence all the activity.

It was the only thing of interest at Castleshaw though!yawn.gif

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JOHN TYMON


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Judith Smith wrote:

What's with these Red Arrows? They were right over my mother's garden in Summerseat going W yesterday - presume Rob saw the same ones about 3-ish over Burnt Edge. Are they touring GM or something?




and over our house in warrington at 3.40confuse.gifsmile.gif

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Judith Smith


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What's with these Red Arrows? They were right over my mother's garden in Summerseat going W yesterday - presume Rob saw the same ones about 3-ish over Burnt Edge. Are they touring GM or something?

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Archie Simpson


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Hi Bill
Where abouts on the business park do you get access to view the ducks and waders
Archie

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Bill Myerscough


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10th August.

Amongst a flock of c220 Canada Geese foraging on the mudflats was the local Ruddy Shelduck, continuing with its guided tour of some of the finest sites in Rochdale giggle.gifbiggrin.gif ...... what's the betting the ruddy thing still manages to give Piethorne as miss though? bleh.gifgiggle.gifbiggrin.gif

The flock of Linnet was even larger today - say c100. Plenty of weed seeds here for them - so numbers may get even bigger than this yet?

Cheers,

Bill.

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Bill Myerscough


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9th August.

Several visits during the day. No sign of Green Sandpipers but got myself a bit over-excited and in a bit of a pickle over a small to medium sized wader. Many thanks to Simon Hitchen, Steve Atkins and Dave Ousey all for coming down to look for and to look at what was probably just a juvenile Dunlin?? blush.gifredface.gifblush.gif

Also some large flocks of some of the commoner species - conservative counts of c60 Linnet, c80 Goldfinch, c90 Lapwing. c70 hirundines late evening - were approx c50 Swallows and c20 House Martins.

c10 Common Gulls amongst the BH Gulls. 1 gorgeous looking Golden Plover with the Lapwings and also 5 Snipe.

Sparrowhawk and Kestrel fairly regularly putting the birds up! However, even these were no match for getting everything in the air as were the 2 parties (6 & 5) of Red Arrows which flew over floating.gif in formation, heading SW in early afternoon and making the return journey in the evening. A cracking sight - just a shame they didn't have the smoke trails billowing out of the back of the planes!

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Monday 10th of August 2009 07:33:03 AM

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Monday 10th of August 2009 07:34:22 AM

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Bill Myerscough


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8th August.

2 Green Sandpipers foraging on one of the few remaining pools of water, this evening. Different birds from the two that have spent the last couple of days at Piethorne. Well I assume so, as I went straight from here to Piethorne and watched the 2 Green Sandpipers there.... unless of course they tailgated me all the way there! - you never know, some birds (and observers!giggle.gif) will stop at nothing to get their sightings (and records!) into the annual County Bird report twice. giggle.gifgiggle.gif

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Saturday 8th of August 2009 09:23:06 PM

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Pete Stevens


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25/5/09 11.00

4 Lapwing
6 House Martins gathering mud
2 Jackdaws
1 Oystercatcher.

Pete

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 25th of May 2009 01:27:35 PM

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Mike Cooper


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Sun 24/5 18:30 -19:00 Glorious sunny evening
Lapwing 5
c. 20 House Martins collecting mud
2 Snipe

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 25th of May 2009 06:28:44 AM

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Andy Isherwood


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sorry for late post
had 8 dunlin on friday morning from 3rd r'about off motorway but only 2 in the evening.
Like steve, I was spoken to by the site manager in the morning (though he didn't say I looked respectable and I was wearing my work suit as well!!!) and asked not to stray pastbthe roundabouts. Looks as though they were planning on starting some kind of work here again soon.!!

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Mike Cooper


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13:00 - 13:45 drizzle turning to heavy rain
First visit large pools area looks very promising
Lapwing at least 5
(No sign of Dunlin or other waders)
Pheasant heard

Skylark and Mipit singing

I'll be back in more clement weather

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Friday 22nd of May 2009 04:30:19 PM

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Steve Atkins


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The 4 Dunlin were on the pools off the last roundabout before Kingsway (if coming from the motorway). Just be aware that officially you are not supposed to go down this road even on foot. I was stopped by the estate manager and asked what I was doing. He said I looked respectable biggrin.gifand it was ok to carry on viewing.
A Whimbrel dropped in at about 18:45 hrs (seen from 2nd roundabout from motorway) and was bathing and preening.

Steve

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Andy Isherwood


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a quick look this evening found only 4 dunlin present but at least 2 of these were different birds to this morning so must be plenty moving through. also 2 greylags

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 21st of May 2009 06:55:16 PM

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Ian McKerchar


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Present at 08:25 this morning (21st)

4 Sanderling
3 Dunlin

Viewable from the 3rd rounabout

Info thanks to Andy Isherwood

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Ian McKerchar


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Present at 8:50am today:

2 Whimbrel
6 Dunlin

Info thanks to Andy Isherwood

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Steve Atkins


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Thanks Ian for puting the initial posts on. This is the first chance I've had to get onto the computer since yesterday evening. Having spent nearly 6 hours stuck in a car yesterday travelling back from London, it was a relief to finally get back to Rochdale. Dropped my better half and mother-in-law off at Morrisons and headed for Kingsway, not expecting that I was about to have one of the best evening's yet there.
At 17:15 hrs I heard Whimbrel calling and struggled at first to locate them above the noise of the traffic. Finally picked up nine birds flying in a straight line just above the treetops along Stanney Brook. Got onto them with the scope and followed them as they gained height, heading north-east until lost to view against the hills. These birds may well have been down on the pools near the canal which are not visible from the middle roundabout.
At about 17:45 hrs I picked up the Little Stint feeding close to a Ringed Plover. The size difference was striking, the Stint being only about half the size of the RP. It was slowly moving about with a shuffling gait, jerking its head as it fed. I was then faced with a dilemma. Do I leave my better half and mother-in-law stranded at Morrisons and wait while the local birders arrive or set off and hope the bird hangs around? I chose the latter course of actiondisbelief.gif
When I got back to Kingsway at 18:30 hrs thankfully the bird was still there as were Alan Nuttall, Bill Myerscough, and Dave Ousey, who confirmed the ID. Shortly afterwards Mark Rigby, Steve Collins and Dave Bebbington arrived. Everyone agreed that the bird was a Little Stint. We left at just after 7 p.m. as a large black cloud appeared, to be followed by thunder and torrential rain.
The Sanderling seen later by Simon may have been brought down by the rain. The bird we were watching was very sluggish and was certainly not running around at high speed.
I'll email a rarity form to you Ian over the weekend. Would the other people who were watching the Stint please also submit a rarity form to Ian.

Thanks

Steve

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