GANNET

 

Gannet remains a very rare county bird and occurrences are spread variously over the spring and autumn periods although most have been during stormy weather of one kind or another and many have involved birds found exhausted. Only the 2007 Watergrove Reservoir allowed itself to be well seen by many county birders, staying for approximately six hours and in seemingly good health.

The has only been 1 multiple sighting of Gannets in the county, in 1997 (see below).

 

1944   Worsley late Aug Adult found alive after striking a high-tension cable
1950   Horwich 18th Sept Adult female picked up after heavy gales
1980   near Worsley 9th Oct An adult picked up in an exhausted and slightly oiled state. Responded to treatment and was still in care, pending release, at the end of the year
1980   Bramhall 20th Jun an exhausted individual
1982   Pennington Flash 16th Oct An immature present for a short time on a day of continuous rain with moderate, generally southerly winds
1985   Wigan 6th Jul An exhausted immature was found and was later successfully released
1990   Pennington Flash 4th Oct A bird picked up at a farm near Pennington Flash during heavy showers and a westerly wind. It was taken to Anglesey and released the next day
1990   Sale Water Park 1st Mar Appeared during heavy sleet showers and wind veering SW to NW. It flew off NE
1993   Shell Carrington NR 19th Jan An adult found exhausted was fed egg sandwiches and at dusk moved to Partington and was last seen flying over the British Gas site
1997   Strinesdale Reservoir 11th Mar 2 immatures flying west
2002   Withins Reservoir 19th Sept Immature flying west towards Bolton
2003   Oldham 14th May A bird blind in one eye was picked up on a building site and taken into care but subsequently died
2007   Watergrove Reservoir 7th Jul 3rd summer bird