i had called around midday and had been watching a flock of mipits in the exact same pool so am certain they weren't there before the rain.
there was a single wheatear on the flats lunchtime.
on the second visit a female sparrowhawk almost took a starling just next the roundabout - it put almost every bird in the area in the air including a flock of 40+ mipits.
a very soggy but thoroughly enjoyable afternoon's birding, cheers, bill!
-- Edited by Paul Cliff on Friday 10th of April 2009 04:34:34 PM
I thought the heavy showers might bring some waders down this afternoon. 4 Dunlin were feeding on the "mudflats" to the north of the middle roundabout. 3 still in winter plumage, one with a black belly patch. Also a few Lapwings, 5 Little Ringed Plovers and a flock of 17 Linnet.
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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
1 Curlew, 1 Redshank, c60 Fieldfare, c35 Meadow Pipit, 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Grey Heron over and several displaying Lapwing. 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls - the only gulls present!
Had a walk along the Rochdale Canal which borders the north-western edge of the business park. The Canada Goose (which Brandon Mulhern reported on the forum on 21/3) with the crossbow arrow through its upper back was on the canal here - rang the RSPCA to report its plight and its location. Also in this area 8 Feral Pigeons were observed sat on nests, with the begging sound of a nestling heard. A proven breeding record for Feral Pigeon for SD91B (Newbold) for the BTO 2007 -2011 Atlas project! - don't laugh! - they all count!!
Keep atlasing!
Cheers,
Bill.
-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Saturday 28th of March 2009 01:10:11 PM
2 Redshank still present, at least 3 Snipe, c20 Meadow Pipits, 4 Teal, A flock of 37 Carrion Crows together in the middle of the mud flats was an unusual sight.
2 Redshanks - for the last two days a single bird has been on the drying out pond in tetrad SD91F (Newhey) of the business park - today the two birds were in separate wet areas in a different tetrad - SD91B (Newbold).
Also - 1 Linnet flew over calling, there were at least 25 Pied Wagtails on the mud flats - had a scan through looking for White Wagtails but couldn't see any, pairs of Song Thrush and Kestrel, a flock of c40 Jackdaws flew in for a very brief visit, there were several Carrion Crows -1 with unusually greyish-white primaries, 4 Skylarks and small numbers of Lapwings were present.
1 Redshank on the drying out pond on the business park mid-afternoon - also 4 Teal. Also, 15 minutes later, 1 Redshank at Higher Boarshaw as well - presumably a different bird? - unless it followed me!
Yorkshire and toilet? - surely must realise that this was a completely innocent and unexpected accidental slip of the fingers on the keyboard!! I actually spend so much time over in in Yorkshire that I would like to consider myself an honorary Yorkshireman - except that they have made it quite clear that they don't want me!
Think, I managed to pull the wool over his eyes with that load of unbelievable waffle?
When I called in for a brief visit at 7.45 am today on my way over to Yorks - , all of the gulls and Lapwings were in the air and in an agitated state. A quick scan revealed a Peregrine tucking into Lapwing on toast for its breakfast at the Kingsway BP Little Chef. OK, maybe exaggerating ever so slightly about the toast and the Little Chef bits but this site, with good numbers of large loafing birds present, has definitely become a favoured foraging area for Peregrine - also see post 18/12/08. Birds also hunted 2/11/08 & 17/7/08.
Shame about the Lapwing though - wouldn't it be a good idea to have some vegetarian Peregrines that could get by on a cup of coffee and a piece of cake or a doughnut maybe? Or if they must eat meat, why not stick to eating spam.
Have got a personal bet going (not with my Grandma though) that I won't be able to use all of the available emoticons in my posts in 2009. Just hope I don't suffer the indignity of getting banned from posting by Ian McK for being too frivolous! Pleased to be able to have used up some of the more difficult ones in that last sentence.
1 Mute Swan on the pond, a "flock" of 5 Pheasant!, 4 Mistle Thrush and 5 Skylark. A good selection of loafing gulls present on the mud flats - before some half-wit on a scrambling bike decided to disturb them all! - included c90 Common Gull, c20 LBB Gull, 1 GBB Gull and c5 Herring Gull.
2.45 pm - 1 Ringed Plover and 1 Dunlin. Nice to meet Stuart Herring and to be able to share the sighting of these two small waders.
Whilst not on my wader wish list from yesterday, a Woodcock flushed from a damp ditch was a nice surprise!
The Lapwing flock had increased to c330. c240 Black-headed Gulls and c40 Common Gulls also on the mudflats. Skylarks are back in small numbers, including some birds in song and obviously looking for territories as two birds were watched in aerial combat!! A Reed Bunting sang.
Fantastically close and prolonged views of the Short-eared Owl hunting. At one time I thought there might actually have been two birds, although two were never seen at the same time. Speaking separately to two of the site workmen during the hour and a quarter I spent here - it would seem that the bird or (birds?) have been present here since Steves last sighting - even hunting in the middle of the day during the harsh snowy weather. Small numbers of Skylarks and c60 Lapwings.
Also seen - a male and female pair of Stonechats, male and female pair of Reed Buntings, a Pheasant, a Grey Heron perched on a tree stump - which moved off right sharpish when a fox approached!
Both workmen indicated that all developments (other than roads) seem to be currently on hold. What a fantastic nature reserve this site could have made with the right amount of money and effort! - with myself installed as Head Warden of course!!
The Short-eared Owl was standing on a fence post in the usual field at 16:55 hrs today. It took flight, dropped to the ground and began feeding on something. The light was too poor to see what the prey was. It was still on the ground when I left just after 5pm. I was pleasantly surprised to see it's still about, as yesterday afternoon there were 3 off-road motorbikes and 2 quad bikes driving around the field. Also the construction work has encroached onto the edge of the field. It looks as if they are building yet another road!
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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
the SEO eventually showed at 4.15pm, putting on a decent show hunting along the edge of the rough grassland and rushes. Still showing in the fading light when i left at 4.25. 2 Kestrels and 4 Fieldfare also present, Nice to see you there Judith.
Pete,welcome to the forum and nice to meet you,as you say the SEO gave distant views this evening my 159th county bird(lifer ect) all thanks to the forum. Anyone looking on the maps won,t find the roads mentioned in earlier posts but it is well signposted off junc 21 a to z page 52 d1.
Thanks Bill Had distant views this evening of the SEO. 4 other birders present, thanks to them for keeping up spirits when it looked like a no show. Pete
The Short-eared Owl was there again tonight (friday) sat on a fence post when I arrived at 3.30pm, giving great views. It then hunted the whole area until 3.45pm. Lovely to watch close at hand. No Camera as on way home from work. It reappeared again & still present at 4.00pm when I left. Surprised only 2 other birders were there at an easy accessible spot just 1-2 minutes off the motorway! Steve
The Short-eared Owl was hunting the same area of rough grassland and Juncus at the bottom of John Milne Avenue between approx. 15:30 and 16:00 hrs. At one point it stood on a fence post only 100 yards from the road and gave stunning views through the scope, as it looked straight at us with its piercing yellow eyes. A great way to start the New Year.
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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
A Short-eared Owl was seen briefly at 14:30 hrs, intially standing on a fence post. It then took flight and circled over an area of Juncus before disappearing into a gully. The bird was seen again several times by Dave Ousey between 15:40 and 16:00 hrs. It was viewed from the roundabout at the top end of John Milne Avenue where the new industrial units have been built. If coming off the M62 at jct 21, turn onto Sir Isaac Newton Way heading west towards Kingsway and take the first exit off the first mini-roundabout. Coming from Kingsway it is the last exit off the 3rd mini-rdbt.
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The Watergrove Skyline (January 2010) - before desecration.
Chatting with one of the workmen today who told me that he witnessed a Peregrine killing a Lapwing here last week. He also reported a single Great Black-backed Gull on the mud here on a few dates in the last week.
I had a GBB Gull here on 5/12 and also 1 Herring Gull on same date.
The Shelduck was still present this morning - ignoring the presence of earth-moving machinery and vehicles that were trundling across the mudflats!
Nice to think that it won't ever be forgotten and will enter the record books as a "dot on the map" for tetrad SD91B (Newbold) for the ongoing BTO Bird Atlas 2007 - 2011 project!! Currently the only winter record in the eastern part of our recording area........... at the moment!
Called in here on my way to Hollingworth Lake. On the pond near the boarded up house - just 3 Teal. On the huge expanse of mud with partial floods at the 2nd roundabout, lots of gulls - and a Shelduck.
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
Have visited several times since 29th hoping for a re-sighting of the Mandarin but with no luck . However, Simon Hitchen has informed me that a Mandarin has been reported at Hollingworth Lake on 28th October - I would guess that it must still be about somewhere - but where?
Have been checking regularly the small pond on the business park - hoping for Gadwall, Pochard or Shoveler - all scarce ducks in Rochdale and Oldham.
At 7.20 am was very pleased and astonished to find amongst the 31 Mallards a stunning drake Mandarin Duck! The first time I have seen this species locally. It flew off with the Mallard flock at 7.40.
I know that in some of the previous years one has been reported intermittently residing on the Rochdale Canal - but I am not aware of any recent records? Maybe one has been about and missed? - possibly the canal was frozen today and it was forced away from its regular home?