During an afternoon stroll, of note:
1 Green Woodpecker
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Nuthatch
3 Common Buzzard
1 Kestrel

Half a dozen Swallows mixed in with 50 or so Sand Martin flying in small groups over Tatton Mere.

3 GS Woodpeckers including a pair feeding on a fallen log, which was on the ground, in vegitation, so it looked as if they were ground feeding. This was in a copse on the Dog Wood side of the mere.

Also heard a couple of Green Woodpeckers.

Lots of GC Grebes on the mere. Three female and one male Goldeneye still around.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 10th of April 2014 02:17:19 PM

A few hours wandering in clement conditions -

Jackdaw; Mistle Thrush; Carrion Crow; Wood Pigeon; Magpie; Chaffinch; Blue Tit; Great Tit; Buzzard; Blackbird; Great Crested Grebe; Tufted Duck; Black Headed Gull; Lesser Black Backed Gull; Coot; Mallard; Goldeneye; Cormorant; Mute Swan; Jay; Brambling (*3); Coal Tit; Nuthatch; Great Spotted Woodpecker (*4); Wren; Robin; Raven; Green Woodpecker; Starling; Goldcrest; Long Tailed Tit; Song Thrush; Canada Goose; Goldfinch; Treecreeper; Redwing; Pochard; Moorhen + Dunnock on call.

I expected more!

Fungalpunk Dave - www.fungalpunknature.co.uk

-- Edited by Dave Higginson-Tranter on Wednesday 19th of February 2014 05:18:20 PM

Walked round the park with Em this morning and had loads of birds feeding actively. Highlights were: 35 Bramblings (feeding with Chaffinches near the Rostherne entrance), 60 Siskins in the pines near the toilet block, 2,000 Starlings feeding all over the place,140 Redwings, displaying Goldeneyes on the meres plus odd, Wigeon, Shoveler and Shelduck.

Cheers David

10.00-14.30

Large numbers of Redwings in the rowans near the Mercury Pool, and with them at least 3 Fieldfares.

Melchett Mere

6 Goldfinches on thistles, 1 male Stonechat flitting around the tops of sedge clumps, 2 Green Woodpeckers, 19 Pochard, 22 Tufted Ducks, 1 Great Crested Grebe, 1 Kestrel and a Heron.

Tatton Mere

27 Great Crested Grebes, including quite a few youngsters, at least 1 still being fed by it's parents. 1 pair of Little Grebes.

Lots of Tufted Duck, Black Headed Gulls, Coot etc.

At the Knutsford Moor end, 5 Shoveler, 3 Cormorants and a Lesser Black Back Gull. Sadly I did'nt have time to view this area in more detail from the Dog Wood side.

Just 1 Buzzard seen, which was close to the Rosetherne entrance. Raven heard. Darter dragonflies still around, as was 1 Small Tortoishell and 1 Red Admiral butterflies.

The big Red stags are looking very impressive, with 2 huge roaring ones that were sizing each other up for a fight, but in the end backed down.

1 huge Fallow stag too, that was having a wallow in a muddy pool.

Hi All,

I was just wondering whether there has been any news of the Great Northern Diver at Tatton recently?

Many thanks in advance for any information.

ATVB,

Rory

I do apologise greatly Ian, for I didn't at all mean to offend you and cause dismay to the general public. The hide did start to get rather busy later on and I fully appreciate what you are saying and that I shouldn't have made this assumption that all the general public are noisy (and they were trying to be quiet.) In no way did I cause upset to the mother and their children, just packed away my bins and left the hide. However, later on in the afternoon an older man and his grandson entered the hide and I did inform them of the birds on the lake and had a chat with the man about how he used to be a part of the Warrington Birding Club and passed on some of my knowledge to his grandson.

In no way was my comment meant to be provocative, unkind or scornful but was only informing of what had happened in the hide and that I didn't tell them to be quiet, or anything of the sort.

Once again I am sorry for my lack of respect regarding my statement and that I should have been more careful in what I had written.

Louis.


-- Edited by Louis Hill on Friday 23rd of August 2013 08:23:07 AM

A pleasant walk around the park today, spent about half an hour in the Allen Hide until some noisy toddlers and their mother came storming in.
Did see a few birds though.

11:00am - 3:00pm

Tatton Mere and woodland:

3 Mute Swans
10+ Coots
2 Ravens over
10+ Black Headed Gulls in summer plumage
1 Goldcrest
Heard Green Woodpecker
Lots of Carrion Crows and Jackdaws

From the Allen Hide:

3 Mute Swans
10+ Tufted Duck (mostly females)
1 drake Pochard
10+ Coots
Lots of Mallards
10+ Canada Geese over

2 adult and 2 juvenile Blue Tits,
2 Great Tits,
1 Wren,
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker,
2 Chaffinches on feeders

Louis.




-- Edited by Louis Hill on Wednesday 21st of August 2013 05:04:04 PM

Hi Paul

Good to see you out and about

I've Birded Tatton Park on a few occasions over the years, and it's got great potential, but I found that I needed a full day to do it any real justice.

P.S.
Not much in the way of sightings being relayed from Burton Mere Wetlands anymore since you departed, ( left to me, via the NWBF now ) but during yesterday's ramblings, myself, Stan Skelton, Keith Duckers and Bill Owens had 2 Brambling ( male and female ), Common Redstart ( male ), and a single Common Sandpiper ( on the reserve itself ) and then also 3 Cetti's Warbler singing around the Neston Sewage Works area....................but somehow managed to miss 3 Ring Ouzel that were reported there also


Denzil

-- Edited by Denzil Nicklin on Tuesday 16th of April 2013 04:47:44 PM

-- Edited by Denzil Nicklin on Tuesday 16th of April 2013 04:52:43 PM

A familly visit to the park didn't leave me much time to do some birding, but I got a few year ticks all the same.

Lots of Wigeon on one of the smaller lakes, a Green Woodpecker calling, and some Goldeneyes were the highlights. Also 1 Nuthatch, and c10 Jackdaws flying about.

Not much about, yet I had a nice day out all the same (nice to get out into the sun)

Sent you a PM Phil.

02/12/2012 - 1-4pm with Mike Duckham:

15 Jack Snipes
6 Common Snipes
1 Shelduck
2 Goldeneyes
1 Gadwall
c70 Tufted Ducks
c350 Mallards
4 Great Crested Grebes
5 Buzzards
3 Green Woodpeckers
1 Siskin
3 Reed Buntings

Good visit today in fine sunshine

Nuthatch, 2 Chaffinches and Great Tits visited feeders at the mansion

1 - F Goldeneye on Melchett Pond which flew across at speed
2 Mute Swan

60ish Tufted Ducks over both main waters, and half a dozen Gadwalls bottom of Tatton Mere

A Buzzard flew from farmland just outside the park and into a tree.

Sand martins - 3 over the mere

Saturday 11th February 2.00-3.00pm

Smew still present up to my leaving. It is still very flighty but also still sticking very much to the Northern end of Tatton Mere.
Also seen:
6 Goldeneye
2 Pochard
1 Great Crested Grebe

Redhead smew still showing well,at 14:00 hrs ,today. It appears to favour the ice-free channel at the northern end of the mere,although very flighty,always returning to this area.
Also on the mere, m+f goldeneye ,shelduck ,4 great crested grebes 8 pochard,30 + tufties , several coots, mallard and 80 + Canada geese on the ice.
Around the park: greater spotted and green woodpeckers, and a very large mixed flock of goldfinch,siskins and a few redpoll.

Cheers Chris.

Reports of a smew present for the last couple of days on the mere

Quick walk down to the mere after a visit to the food show and there was loads of swifts flying around

8/2/11

A leisurely stroll up to the Hall and back from the Knutsford entrance produced the following:

4 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kestrel
13 Goldeneye
3 Little Grebe
5 Great Crested Grebe
11 Pochard
41 Tufted Duck
3 Great Heron
5 Cormorant
2 Nuthatch
2 Stock Dove
2 Pied Wagtail

No pies at the cafe, but sirloin steak for £8 did the trick nicely

06/07/2010 - Just out of park to the north at Birkinheath Covert this morning were 4 Crossbills briefly. Very noisy but tricky to pick out amongst the conifers there.
Also a family of 8 Mandarins on Mobberley Brook adjacent to the covert.

Accompanied my very young grandson to Tatton for the Easter Bunnies on the 5th (Easter Monday - 'twas like Piccadilly Circus!) - he was entranced by the farm animals including one chicken which took a swipe at me. Missed but nearly wild enough to be tickable! No warblers heard although I was listening, but very windy.

Stopped on the way out to see a fair size flock of hirundines over the smaller mere (leading up towards the house). Sands, Swallows and House Martins all there roughly in the ratio of 20:7:2, around 60-80 total. First Swallows of the year for me. Also a pair of Goldeneye still hanging around, although I see that John T had 20+ up at Pennington.

WE all went today.

The smew were round the back, viewed from the woods, and the scaup up at the top end near the 2nd lake.
It's always nice to see male goldeneye as well.

A buzzard above looked nice.

After lugging all my gear around the mere, I was worn out at the end, but we call to look at Rostherne Mere on the way back. 10 gc grebe and some goosander were visible from the churchyard. Must try and get a permit for a day for our group.

Spent very pleasant afternoon Thus 11 Feb walking through Tatton. Parked at Knutsford entrance on road by golf club for free - saving £4.50 - thanks to Sid Ashton for tip. Walk started at 11.30.

Redheads not on view initially at Knutsord end of mere so walked along to far end scanning through the many diving tufties and goldeneye, with a few pochard. On Melchett Mere there were more of the same with 10 Ruddy Ducks. Still no Smew so walked back watching 2 Buzzard displying over golf course another soaring over the wood on far side of the mere.
Back near the Knutsford end again there was one Redhead drifting along with mallard and coot - then the second one appeared and the two started to dive for food. Watched, sat on the Millennium Project park bench, for an hour in clear, sunny conditions and it became apparent that one of the ducks was slightly larger than the other with noticably more white markings on the sides! (Male in eclipse???). I'm no expert - do we get them here?

Other birds included Jay, Nuthatch, GS Woodpecker, Jackdaw, C Crow, Mistle Thrush, Greenfinch, Chaffinch,Linnet (? 2 overhead against sun) and many cormorant - some in breeding plumage.

Overall a very satisfying afternoon ending at 16.40 before returning to the car frozen to the bone.

This is only my second contribution after having recently come across this excellent birding forum. Hope to post some interesting finds myself to reciprocate the sightings from other members. (In last 10 yrs I have had Lesser Spot in Garden and nesting Kingfisher in opposite bank of stream along side of my garden - but, alas, nothing as good since).
Rick.

Yesterday around 1.00pm both redheads were at the south end of the Mere. One in open water, the other hiding near the bank under branches. It's a long tramp with a heavy tripod if you come in at the Rostherne end and park at the Hall. So best to follow the road on to the Kuntsford end.