2nd October.

Early afternoon.

Good numbers of Teal (26) and Snipe (7).

c70 Black-headed Gull, 2 Common Gull, 1 Kestrel, 2 Jay and 1 Meadow Pipit.

Very worryingly had a brief view of what almost certainly was a Mink in the water of the Rochdale Canal adjacent to this location.


Bill.

Monday 15 Sept,Tuesday 16 Sept.

Large numbers of the usual species present on Monday c. 3.00 p.m.
100 lapwings
70 Starlings
70 Canada geese
50 BH Gulls
30 Mallard 5
Teal 8
8 moorhen
7 magpies
2 Crows
20 house sparrows
6 woodpigeon

Greatly reduced numbers on Tuesday, mid afternoon - c. 30 lapwing, 30 Canada geese.40 starlings, 6 mallard, 2 crows, 6 magpies, 2 woodpigeon, small number of gulls, 7 moorhen. No teal.



Driving away later past Hopwood playing fields, most of the gulls and starlings seemed to have decamped here c. 120 BHG, 75 starlings

-- Edited by Colin Buckley at 18:41, 2008-09-16

12th September - early afternoon.

Lapwing - 80+ on the ground and further 100+ in the air over the nearby Stakehill Industrial Estate.
Starling - 240+.
Teal - 10, possibly11 birds present today.
Snipe - 3.
Swallows - 35+ moving in a south-westerly direction low over the ponds. A handful of House Martins with them.
Meadow Pipits - 5.

Cheers,

Bill.

Tuesday 9 September, 2.30 p.m.

As yesterday, minus the heron, but with three teal. The elderberries seem to have lost their attraction.

Sunday 7 September, 2.00 p.m.

Much as yesterday, though no heron, nor any swallows.
Pair immature pied wagtails, plus feral white duck, paired up with a mallard

Thursday Sept 4th, noon.
Carrion Crow
c.120 Canada Geese
c. 50 starlings
c 50 Lapwings
Mute Swan
c. 30 Black Headed Gulls
c.30 Mallard
5 Moorhen
7 Magpies
3 Blue Tits
4 Pied Wagtails

Hi Dave,

The approx. OS grid ref of the site is SD885071. If you approach from the Slattocks roundabout at the Stakehill Industrial Estate and take the A664 towards Middleton - at the second set of traffic lights turn left into Stanycliffe Lane - follow this until the first mini-roundabout and go left off the roundabout up past Middleton Cemetery/Crematorium which is on your right and the road will eventually end before you reach the Rochdale Canal. You can park anywhere around here and just go over the small hump-backed bridge over the canal and the area in question is to your left.

I think the site is actually only 3 ponds set amongst a few fields - with horses and sheep being grazed here. The ponds are relatively undisturbed - I don't think anyone other than horse riders have access to the ponds - therefore they can only be viewed from the canal towpath or the path that runs up the southern side of the lodges. Potentially the site could be good but I would guess due to the location - is probably very underwatched. The muddy margins can be very good for Snipe in the winter. If you walk north along the canal towpath for a few hundred yards there is an small area to the east of the canal with one of the few areas of decent scrub found locally. In summer this can be good for several species of warbler and in winter can hold decent sized flocks of Redwing. A Willow Tit was found in this area a couple of winters ago.

Hope this is of some help.

Best wishes,

Bill.

A few years back a few of us had 5 (or was it 6?) Black-tailed Godwits at this site - and during the autumn does get a few waders passing through.

Dave