Sun 31st Dec

A New Years Eve visit with my little lad to feed the Wildfowl.

- 4 Common Gulls
- c150 Black-headed Gulls
- 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 8 (4pr) Tufted Duck
- c30 Coots
- 2 Mute Swans incl 4DZS
- small group of Ring-necked Parakeets on other side of res

Sunnybrow Park. 3.30pm.
Many more Mallard than usual on the stream running through. In addition to the Kingfisher last week, a Grey Heron and a Grey Wagtail this afternoon.

Not sure if this is the correct place to record this - but bizarrely (maybe) a Kingfisher on the swollen stream running through Sunnybrow Park - Gorton at 3.30pm.

Last Saturday with my lad.

Of note..
- 22 Black-headed Gulls (most Ive seen together in ages)
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Great Crested Grebes
- 41 Coots
- 2 Moorhen
- 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
- 1 Chiffchaff

Easter Sunday.
Couple of hours around the park before going for a Bank holiday pint.

- 1 pr Great Crested Grebes
- 4 Ring-necked Parakeet
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 6 Chiffchaff
- 3 Blackcap

Also a few different bits to last week..

- 2 Willow Warbler (both not far from res car park)
- 2 Cormorant with white breast, presumed 2CY imm
- Herring Gull with yellow legs

Image shows the 2 Cormorants on the floating jetty and the Herring Gull on the post, but it was an iPhone shot and doesnt do either any justice.

Fished today from 11.00/15.30 highlights being three female Goldeneye, three Little Grebes, two Great Crested Grebe and one Ring- necked Parakeet over.

Saturday early afternoon with Lucas.

- 1 pr Great Crested Grebe
- 1 pr Mute Swan (unringed) with 1 cygnet
- 1 Nuthatch
- 4 Blackcap
- 2 Chiffchaff
- 1 Grey Heron
- 23 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 4 Ring-necked Parakeets

Message of Steve Christmas regarding Mute Swan 4DXY.

4DXY was ringed as a cygnet on 22/10/2021 at Reddish Vale. One of its brood mates was seen at Spike Island, Widnes, last week.

Saturday 16th April c
Lunchtime visit with Lucas, starting at the reservoir, then walking up to the Donkey sanctuary near Wright Robbie and back.

Of note
- Blackcap everywhere, possibly c10-15 different individuals
- Chiffchaff, possibly c10
- 1 male Bullfinch near res
- 1 male Greenfinch
- 1 Nuthatch near res
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet
- 1 ringed Mute Swan 4DXY
- 1 immature Gull flying around near the bouys, never really came close and I didnt have bins with me. I thought it couldve been a Yellow-legged Gull at first but as it banked it showed a slightly paler mantle than Id be happy with and also seemed to have a paler inner primary window so I put it down to Herring Gull.

Saturday 29th Jan
Afternoon visit with Lucas.

Quick heads up to Paul Heaton, are you still with the RSPCA Paul?
One of the 1st w Cygnets appears unwell, I appreciate its hard to say for sure without the bird being examined, but it was just sat on the cobbles and barely moved.
Thought it was worth mentioning.

Of note
- Kingfisher heard but couldnt locate it
- 130+ Canada Geese
- 32 Coot
- 1 Coal Tit near car park

Rob Creek wrote:

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New Years Day.
Took Lucas a walk to feed the Ducks, of note

- 2 Kingfisher together flew from the concrete pier / steps round passed the overflow to the Abbey Hey side of the reservoir
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 10 Tufted Duck
- Mute Swan 4BHX
- 2 Ring-necked Parakeets

---

Correction Mute Swan 4BXH that was here in mid November.
Info thanks to Steve Christmas

Reply from Frank Majoor today regarding Black-headed Gull E8C2.

It was ringed in Arnhem, The Netherlands, 23.03.21 as a 2CY male.

Friday afternoon tacho break.

- 143 (min) Black-headed Gulls
- 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- c40+ Coot
- 4 Little Grebe
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- c15 Long-tailed Tits
- 1 Ring-necked Parakeet

Mute swan 4BXH ringed as a male cygnet 12/12/2015 at Chorlton WP.

Thanks, Rob

Tuesday 31st Aug

Teatime / early evening visit with Lucas.

- 1 Kingfisher heard then a brief fly-by
- 1 Grey Wagtail
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 6 Ring-necked Parakeets low over sailing club

Friday 6th Aug

Of note
- 1 Kingfisher
Flew from the inner far left corner and followed the contour of the shape of the lake hugging the bank closely.
- Great Crested Grebe family
- small party of Long-tailed Tits
- c50 Black-headed Gulls

JOHN TYMON wrote:

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Rob Creek wrote:

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Just to add to Fridays sightings, in amongst the Feral Pigeons at the side of the reservoir were 2 homing / racing Pigeons, I must admit nice looking birds.
Both possessed coloured rings on both legs but I couldnt read the phone number / ID number due to the flighty nature of the birds. I know 1000s went astray a few weeks ago due to an anomaly in the earths magnetic field so Ive been on the website to maybe try to get some info on relating specific colours to owners, but Im thinking is that too basic and you specifically need the phone number by catching it?
Anybody in the know?

I dont want to start a lengthy conversation on a sightings thread so just a few pointers or a PM will do.
Cheers

---

 They used to stamp the underwing with the Address at one time , but I remember way back in the 1970's / 80s any bird that came back late was put down as they didn't want to add bad genes to the strain, I would just leave them as they are, as if they haven't moved on they could have been lost for months or years.

 

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Cheers John, i must say theyve certainly kept themselves looking well if theyve been lost for a long time.

Just to add to Fridays sightings, in amongst the Feral Pigeons at the side of the reservoir were 2 homing / racing Pigeons, I must admit nice looking birds.
Both possessed coloured rings on both legs but I couldnt read the phone number / ID number due to the flighty nature of the birds. I know 1000s went astray a few weeks ago due to an anomaly in the earths magnetic field so Ive been on the website to maybe try to get some info on relating specific colours to owners, but Im thinking is that too basic and you specifically need the phone number by catching it?
Anybody in the know?

I dont want to start a lengthy conversation on a sightings thread so just a few pointers or a PM will do.
Cheers

Wednesday 30th June

Early evening visit with Lucas.
Had a few visits recently but not really getting chance to take in the birds.

Of note
- min 12 Ring-necked Parakeets
- 2 Chiffchaff
- 2 Blackcap
- 1 Jay
- 2 Song Thrush
- 20+ Coot
- few Lesser Black-backed Gulls on res

Totally forgot to post this last week, apologies.

Saturday 24th April
a.m. visit with Lucas.

Res.
- 20+ Coot
- 1 Moorhen
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 2 Chiffchaff
- 1 Blackcap
- 1 Long-tailed Tit
- c15 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- lots of Black-headed Gulls
- the highlight for Lucas was the fire engine at the sailing club as a team was called out to a smouldering tree stump at the side of the res.


Saturday 1st May.
Lunchtime visit with Lucas, a lot quieter but a bit of quality!

Res.
- 8 Coot
- 1 Moorhen
- 1 Mute Swan (asleep)
- 1 Chiffchaff
- 6 Lesser Black-backed Gull
- 1 Herring Gull
- 4 Black-headed Gull

Main Park.
- Chiffchaff singing in many areas (1 seen)
- Blackcap fairly numerous too
- 1 Common Buzzard over, calling as it went by

But the highlight was when a Mistle Thrush started sounding an alarm call, Blackbirds and a Magpie joined in, then a Jay squawking its head off in same area near the basketball court, to me that meant one thing so we went over to have a look and sure enough there was a Tawny Owl (partially obscured) being harassed. I was just deciding which way to go to try for a better view when it mustve decided it had had its fill of annoyance and it flew off over the park office and out of view.
Needless to say the commotion just turned to silence immediately.
Lucas made laugh (bear in mind hes not even 2yrs old yet) when he started bending down looking into nearby bushes and then looking up into the trees and said Daddy I can see Owl up here


-- Edited by Rob Creek on Saturday 1st of May 2021 11:48:06 PM

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Saturday 1st of May 2021 11:54:54 PM

Took Lucas at lunchtime through to mid afternoon.

On res.
- c20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 3 Herring Gulls
- 1 Great Crested Grebe
- 4 Coot
- 1 only Mute Swan
(Broken blue ring, couldnt read it)

On park.
- 2 Ring-necked Parakeets
- 4 Blackcap heard in different areas
- 3 Chiffchaff heard
- 1m Chaffinch
- Nuthatch heard

A reply from Steve Christmas.

4DBU ringed as 1/8 brood of cygnets at Ashton Moss 02/08/18

A reply from Dave Cookson regarding Cheshire Mute Swan CNA5.

Ringed as a female cygnet on 22-10-18 at Spike Island, Widnes.

A reply from Steve Christmas already, a real Greater Manchester mix here, cheers mate.

4CLA male cygnet 30/12/2016 Debdale, Gorton

4DBN cygnet 2/9/2018 Ashton Moss

4DIA cygnet 1/12/2019 Salford Quays

4DIB male cygnet 4/12/2019 Blackleach, Walkden

4DID cygnet 20/12/2019 Crime Lake, Daisy Nook

4DJV female cygnet 25/8/2020 Barton, Eccles

Best wishes,

Steve

(ps Ive attached images of the 2 furthest afield birds from the site, 4DJV from Barton and 4DIB from Blackleach CP, Walkden)
Ive also put an image for each of the ringed Swans on my Twitter, but thought Id best limit it to a couple on the forum.

-- Edited by Rob Creek on Monday 1st of February 2021 10:39:40 PM