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MANCHESTER BIRDING

MONTHLY BIRD SIGHTINGS ROUNDUP

This monthly sightings summary of birds in Greater Manchester was collated and written by Judith Smith

OCTOBER'S SIGHTINGS

Please note that county rarities mentioned in this report are as yet mostly unauthenticated and mention in this report does not imply acceptance by the County Rarities Committee. Please note that permits are required at Audenshaw and Heaton Park Reservoirs

Highlights: a Red-throated Diver began an extended stay at Scotman’s Flash, 2nd, being last seen 26th on neighbouring Pearson’s Flash. A Firecrest was at Pennington Flash 8th. Brent Geese of both races were again recorded, with single dark-bellied birds over Scotman’s Flash 11th and at Hollingworth Lake 30th, and pale-bellied birds at Ashworth Moor Resr 12th and at Pennington Flash 22nd. A Great White Egret was in the Rindle Road area of Astley Moss from 26th into November, although local residents had seen it around in ditches since about 15th. It developed a regular habit of flying west to a private site between 0900 and 1000 hrs when the Rindle area became busier. There was also an unconfirmed report of one flying over Barton Bridge 24th. A Red Kite was over Ramsbottom 16th, and a juvenile Flamingo species was reported from Astley Moss peat pools 9th. The Cetti’s Warbler (or a new bird) was heard 18th at Pearson’s Flash. A ringtail Hen Harrier was on Astley and/or Bedford Mosses from 19th, flushing a pair of Ruddy Shelducks on that date. A Long-tailed Duck was briefly on Ogden Resr Piethorne, 21st. Two Garganeys were at Pennington Flash from 21st to at least 27th.

There was late news from September of a Corncrake was picked up in the city centre 27th and transferred to the reintroduction centre in Cambridgeshire to overwinter, and another was calling in Glazebury (part in the county) 28th.

Wildfowl: good numbers of Whooper Swans passed through the county, with a total of 200 between 14th and 28th. Large numbers of Pinkfeet, involving in excess of 1000 on some days, flew over the county, mostly SE on their way to the Wash, with notable movements on 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th-19th, 28th. Birds seen ‘down’ were at Rumworth (5 on 1st), Billinge (1 briefly 14th before rejoining others in fog) and at Piethorne (1-2 28th-29th). A Bittern was seen at Scotman’s Flash 27th. Single Scaups were at Clifton Marina 3rd and Pennington Flash 7th-10th (at least). A female Pintail was at Pennington Flash 5th-7th and 26th with a pair at Scotman’s Flash 31st. A Ruddy Duck at a water in Heywood 8th was the first in Rochdale for many years. 48 Goosanders were in the roost at Ashworth Moor Resr, 12th. Pennington Flash had 72 Great Crested Grebes, 500+ Tufted Duck, 42 Pochard and 4 Wigeon 18th, and 7 Goldeneye were on Pearson’s Flash by 27th.

Waders: single Greenshanks were at Pennington Flash and Audenshaw Resrs, 1st. The only Green Sandpiper was one at Hope Carr 2nd, and a late Common Sandpiper was at Higher Boarshaw Lodges, 21st. A Bar-tailed Godwit and 3 Dunlin flew W over Pennington Flash 7th, and a Ruff was present there 10th. A Redshank was in a flooded field at Dunham Massey, 8th and one was at Salford Quays 13th. Rooftop Lapwings were noted at Seddon Atkinson, Higginshaw, Newton Heath, Chadderton, Bolton town centre and Ashton Moss (the latter two also with Golden Plovers), and up to 300 were in flooded fields at Mile Rd Flixton. A Grey Plover flew SE over Audenshaw Resrs, 14th, and one was at Pennington Flash 22nd. This water had 147 Snipe, 4 Dunlin and a Golden Plover, 14th. Elton Resr also had a single Golden Plover 16th. and Audenshaw had 79 on 15th. Two Jack Snipe were at Elton Resr 21st with 7 Snipe, and 8+ Jack Snipe were at Bickershaw 10th.

Raptors: Merlins were noted at Clifton Marina 3rd, Watergrove Resr 4th, Rindle 27th-30th and Ringley 30th. Groups of Buzzards included 9 over Pennington Flash 5th and 4 over Skitters Wood, Ashton-in-Makerfield, 13th.

Gulls and terns: A Little Gull was at Audenshaw Resrs, 1st and 1-2 Yellow-legged Gulls were in the roost there throughout the month. An adult Med Gull was at Pennington Flash 12th and a late Common Tern was there 13th.

Passerines: Thousands of winter thrushes poured into the county 18th after moderate numbers of Redwings earlier in the month. Vismig counts on this date included 2583 Redwings and 1351 Fieldfares over Heaton Park, 848 Redwings and 92 Fieldfares at the Wigan Flashes, 542 Redwings over Lower Bredbury, 2000+ Redwings and 600 Fieldfares at Elton, and 3525 Redwings, 70 Mistle Thrushes and 537 Fieldfares at Astley Moss peat pools. Many groups of Redwings and Fieldfares remained in the area, and amongst those at Rindle was an orange-breasted thrust on 30th, seen by two birders separately, but neither saw it well enough to make a definite identification. 2-3 Rock Pipits were at Audenshaw Resrs 15th, with singles 17th-18th and 26th. A Crossbill flew over Turn Slack Clough, Watergrove, 4th. The maximum number of Ring-necked Parakeets seen at the Fallowfield allotment was 10-11, consisting of 5 males, one juvenile and 4-5 females, plus the Amazon parrot. The female at Dunham Massey was also heard 8th. A male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was in a Heald Green garden 6th-15th. Twenty Bramblings flew W over Astley Moss peat pools 18th, and one was over Skitters Wood, 22nd. A pair of Ravens appear to have set up a territory at the JJB stadium in Wigan.

A leucistic Crow was again reported from the Blackrod area, and a partially albino Song Thrush was at Worthington 28th.

Escapes: a drake Wood Duck was on the Rochdale Canal in the town centre, 1st and a drake Mandarin was on the Kingsway Business Park pools 29th. The pair of Black Swans remained at Crompton Lodges, Farnworth. A pair of Ruddy Shelducks remained on the mosslands until 19th.

Thanks to the following for their records:

R. & S. Adderley, S. Ashton, S. Atkins, M. Baron, P. Berry, A. Bissitt, T. Booth, D. Broome, C. Buckley, I. Campbell, P. Carroll, M. Chorley, P. Cliff, , S. Costa, D. Craven, A. Dancy, B. Fielding, F. Fouracre, P. Hammond, G. Hargreaves, S. Hayat, C. Higson, R. Hill, T. Hill, P. Hines, M. Hirst, S. Hitchen, M. Horwood, B. Hulme, P. & N. Johnson, S. Johnson, A. Jones, E. King, P. Lane, D. Macdonald, I. McKerchar, A. Makin, A. Marriott, J. Meadows, I. Moffat, J. Moot, W.R. Myerscough, S. Nelson, A. Nuttall, P. Oldham, D. Phillips, D. Powell, C. Ramsden, J. Rayner, P. Rhodes, M. Rigby, A. Rimmer, S. Rimmer, S, Scrimgeour, R. Smallwood, R. Taylor, D. Tennant, D. Thacker,, R. Thorpe, R. Tomlin, N. Troup, J. Tymon, D. Wallace, S. & A. Warford, J. Walsh, M. Whitfield, M. Whittam, T. Wilcox, D. Wilson, P. Wilson, I. Woosey, P. Wren, G. Yates, Mersey Valley Rangers, Birdguides, contributors to this website. Apologies for any accidental omissions.