ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT A BIG DAY COUNT

Manchester Mayhem 2011

by Mike Passant

Having met up on Tuesday, May 3rd at 4.30 promptly, the usual team of Chorley, Rayner, Rigby and Passant (another year older, but none the wiser), emerged at Etherow Country Park at 4.45, ready to rumble, and despite the darkness, eagerly started the tally with Canada Geese in Rigger’s car headlights.

Blackbirds provided the dominant element in the dawn chorus, and against this backdrop the usual debate ensued about the confused genetics of the dark-naped 'Greylags' here - too much by way of 'Chinese Goose' genes to be countable? The first excitement was provided lakeside by a sneakily silent Common Sandpiper which flicked off from the embankment unseen by most of the team, so we quickened our pace in pursuit, en route noting Coot, Moorhen, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Great-crested Grebe, Heron, Carrion Crow, and fortuitously hearing a Grey Wagtail, calling from beyond the cover of the adjacent riverside trees. We circled the whole lake with no sight of our quarry, but upon arrival back at the starting point, there was the Common Sandpiper as large as life back at its original spot, much to John’s delight in view of its scarcity in the Stockport context.

Driving on to the next sector with windows down (listening for anything 'birdie') we passed (coming and going) obliging Mandarin Ducks of both sexes and Robin on the road, but alas no sign here of Kingfisher this year. At the bridge, Dipper was quickly spotted, followed by a flurry of additions as we entered the wooded areas. Blue Tit, Blackcap, Chaffinch, Wren, Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Wood Pigeon, Coal Tit, a calling Nuthatch, a singing Goldcrest and an obliging Dunnock were added to the growing list. A Tawny Owl, betrayed by the scolding of attending Blackbirds conveniently broke cover. On the downside we failed to find Redstart, and only Mark managed to hear a single snatch of a not-to-be-repeated Green Woodpecker yaffle, though we did score with the first of several Great-spotted Woodpeckers, initially drumming and then appearing in person. John then confidently detected the presence of an Egyptian Goose, calling in the valley below us. I for one was duly impressed (but in truth felt some measure of pride in not possessing such a dodgy skill). True enough, within minutes there was the said beast right before us and admitted onto the list. We eyed Rayner anew with muted respect, before moving on towards Ludworth Moor, having recorded 27 countable species; (remarkably, the identical total as last year at this same stage and location).

Arriving at 6.15, we quickly noted Lapwing, Black-headed gull, with several Tree Sparrows at the Larkhill cottage feeders, together with a perched Greenfinch and a gang of feral pigeons. Moving on (towards and briefly into and out of Derbyshire, with eyes shut, honestly), we found Meadow Pipits, heard Skylarks (seen later elsewhere), a Wheatear, and importantly an entertaining and most welcome squadron of 15 wheeling Golden Plover. These put on quite a show, fully deserving inclusion on the list. A long distance scan of the distant fields at some 500 yards revealed tantalizing partial views of 5 grounded 'Curlews'. To some, they looked promising for Whimbrel, but “surely that one had too long a bill”, then “mine has a good supercilium and could really be a Whimbrel". We drove on, closing the distance by more than half, and viewing from an awkwardly steep roadside verge, were delighted to see a single Curlew keeping company with 4 Whimbrel - to John’s delight, a Stockport rarity and a real morale booster for the team. Further down the road, John’s stake-out for a regular Little Owl disappointed, so after some minutes we drove off, only to flush the target bird from a roadside wall some 600 yards on, as we drove by, much to our collective relief. House Sparrow, Collared dove and Goldfinch were ticked off at a brief roadside stop and we pressed on, mindful of the impending rush hour traffic, heading for Bramhall, noting en route Jackdaws, Starlings, Lesser black-backed Gull and Grey Wagtail. The score at this stage was 45 'seen' with some heard only birds noted (with the hope to see them if possible later, but not at the expense of time wasted).

Immediately upon arrival at Carrwood at 7.20, a Long-tailed Tit flaunted itself briefly, but a Treecreeper (a devil to record when you need one) singing at point blank range was audible even above the traffic and a bird clinging to a tree trunk across the road flew towards us to join the singer; - a real bonus even before we had entered the wood! Once inside, with only a 15 minute stay, we quickly added Mistle Thrush, Jay, and our principal target the delightful Wood Warbler, with Song Thrush for good measure (noting that we were now comfortably past the 50 mark).

Arriving at nearby Adswood Tip at 7.40, we added Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Bunting and contented ourselves with a heard only Garden Warbler, before moving on at 8.00 for the tortuous drive over to Altrincham ETW.

A couple of Rooks in a ploughed field were logged immediately prior to arrival at the ETW, where we saw our first Swifts plus all 3 hirundines, a few Pied Wagtails and importantly, a single Yellow Wagtail by the paddocks. On the pools were Gadwall, Little Grebe, a lone Common Sandpiper, a small Charadrius, and with both Sedge and Reed Warblers to boost the heard list. We left at 9.30 with the total list on 74, headed for Irlam and Astley Mosses.

Yellowhammer and Oystercatcher were quickly noted, and also fortuitously, a lone Cormorant overflying eastwards, which was to be our sole record. Two passerines flew towards us and upon landing distantly were scoped up and seen to be our only Linnets of the day. We bemoaned the lack of redpolls and there was no hint of Corn Bunting, a species which has eluded us in all of our three annual attempts.

We drove off as scheduled to Pennington, arriving at 11.45, spurred on in anticipation by news of a Bar-tailed Godwit there.

Pennington provided brief refreshments, with food gobbled up 'on the hoof' at once bringing to mind a memorably historic but infamous Rayner pronouncement, at 3 o’clock one afternoon long ago, when a group of us totally focused on manic birding realized we hadn’t had any food (“breakfast’s for wimps!”). Mute Swan was immediately logged plus a distant soaring Buzzard and several Black Terns over the Flash. Just before Horrocks’ Hide a Willow Tit called and zipped conveniently across our path. A scan from within the hide raised the quality further with two Little Gulls, Common Tern, and further nice views of three Black Terns (now at rest on the spit), plus Ringed Plover and Shelduck, then lowered it again with Greylag Goose (at least here genetically more acceptable). We learned that the godwit had long since departed ahead of us and there was no sign of the previous day’s pair of Black-necked Grebes. We felt that a search along to the western end could hardly be justified time-wise to possibly gain one species. We listened carefully by the hide for our 'banker' Lesser Whitethroat which accordingly failed to perform, so wandered on resolving to call back later. Bunting Hide came up trumps with Bullfinches right on cue. After a further rather aimless perambulation we tried once more to connect with Lesser Whitethroat. Unbelievably, it again failed to make the list, for the second year running. After a reasonably productive session at Pennington (which however could potentially have been so much better), we departed on 88 species, to arrive at Pearsons Flash at about 14.00.

Here a short stay yielded Redshank, Greenshank, Wigeon, Sedge Warbler and best of all, the anticipated fine drake Garganey. Having failed to locate any Shoveler, we were anxious to press on to Rumworth where a pair had been noted the previous day; however we forgot to check over Scotsmans Flash, an unforgivable oversight which cost us the chance of Goldeneye. Despite some set backs, in positive mood we left Pearsons Flash at 14.20 on 92 species.

Immediately on arrival at Rumworth we found the Shoveler pair, and having carefully scrutinized a patrolling Arctic Tern for some minutes, left for the Horwich Moors on 94 species at 14.50.

This was to become the low point of our endeavors, as we added not a single species. Whether or not the fresh breeze was a factor or just the time of day, the moors were silent and virtually devoid of avian life, with just a pheasant and some starlings trying in vain to please.

At 16.00 we headed off to Heaton Park Reservoir ahead of the impending rush hour with a further 10 species now looking decidedly more of a challenge.

The passing of another 40 minutes saw us peering through the fence at around 40 Goosander (progress resumed at last!), with 2 Herring Gulls loitering amongst the Lesser Black-backs. Mark spotted our 4th Black tern of the day patrolling over the middle of the reservoir. We left at 17.05 with the count on 96 (ominously with these last 2 additions representing the only gains over the last 2 ¼ hours)!

The Castleshaw Kid now drove us swiftly and efficiently up to his beloved patch, where staked out Dunlin and Common Gull as hoped, raised our spirits again; we were getting close!

We arrived at the scenically superb setting of Dovestones, and though failing to locate any Siskin or Redpoll, were fortunate to locate a Pied Flycatcher, as well as fittingly, our 100th species of the day - a Peregrine, soaring and gliding high over the main road later.

Higher up on the road towards the Yorkshire border, Featherbed Moss came up trumps where Horwich had failed - a roadside Red Grouse, doing its best, but failing to hide from us. At this point there were options to consider.

A return visit to Astley Moss won the vote and we arrived there at 19.25, to quickly hear Common Partridge, to equal the previous year’s mark of 102. However this was soon surpassed as we strolled over towards the SSSI site, lured by the welcome calling of a distant Cuckoo, shortly thereafter spotted perched up by Mike C. What followed was a fitting climax to a wonderful day’s birding; - out of the western sky almost ablaze with the reddening sun, there appeared a sleek rangy looking falcon, gliding, swooping, hawking around, all the while heading our way. Then we realized there were two; - both of them Hobbies, gracing the sky above us for several minutes. I’d like to think that in those moments, none of us would rather have been anywhere else but there, enjoying some “mossland” magic. Grey Partridges, almost anticlimactically, were seen finally by all 4 of us to become the 100th species 'seen', another first for us and a secondary target gained. (The 4 heard only species being: Reed Warbler, Garden Warbler, Goldcrest, and Nuthatch).

And so ended our day; - 104 species recorded by all the team in 15 hours of brilliant birding in good company. Would we, will we, do it again? - We honestly can’t wait!

Postscript –

We reckoned that on May 3rd there were almost certainly a further 25 species available somewhere in Greater Manchester which for various reasons eluded us. Birds such as Curlew Sandpipers at Lightshaw, or Dotterel on Brown Wardle Hill, or Ring-necked Parakeets in Manchester could not readily or efficiently be attempted anyway, due to the logistical sacrifices involved in the context of traffic problems, etc. Every deviation from the predetermined route has to be justifiable relative to the time invested, and mini twitches for single species can just stoke up problems. However, birds such as Goldeneye, Raven, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker, Siskin or Redpoll could so easily have been encountered.

What this exercise does demonstrate is that Greater Manchester does have some tremendous birding potential for those who seek it out - why else would some idiot keep coming down from Durham...?

Mike Passant, May 2011

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