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August 2017 part 2
THE MAGAZINE OF THE RSPB MACCLESFIELD LOCAL GROUP
www.macclesfieldrspb.org.uk
Review of the year from Macclesfield Wildlife Explorers
ike most of us I like to think I’m right Photograph by Susan Wilson about most things, most of the time! Each time I look back on a completed L Wildlife Explorers season I honestly think that there is no way that any subsequent season could match the conservation achievements or incredible wildlife experiences that have been delivered. Each and every year our fantastic team of Leaders and young nature enthusiasts prove me wrong. Last season was no exception.
Indoor Meetings
Each season we try to cover a variety of topics in our indoor meetings. We hope to reflect the interests of our members and to help illustrate the diversity of the natural Photograph by David Tolliday world. This year we have covered topics as The group helped with water conservation work diverse as fungi, the deep ocean, British on the Middlewood Way and with a birds, mini-beasts and wildlife and the Conservation Work Party at Jodrell Bank weather. It is always a challenge to present Arboretum to restore a wildlife pond. The information in original and interesting formats annual December Tree Dressing session and to make learning fun. Leaders rise to the Silly Hat competition at Tegg’s Nose was a challenge, whether it is devising a clever craft great success once again and seems set to be activity or attending a meeting wearing scuba a permanent fixture on the calendar. gear or silly hats. Wild Weekend In Wales Outdoor Meetings In the spring a group of nearly forty volunteer Outdoor meetings balance nature watching Leaders, Wildlife Explorers and their families and wildlife investigations with practical spent a weekend basedPhotograph in the byWelsh Martin seaside conservation work. This year we visited the town of Borth, learning about coastal wildlife. Visits to the sand dunes of Ynyslas National Nature Reserve, the rockpools at Borth, the RSPB reserve at Ynys Hir and the red kite feeding at Bwlch Nant yr Arian guaranteed a weekend packed with amazing nature spectacles. It wouldn’t have been a Wildlife Explorers weekend though without the addition
Photograph by Susan Wilson
RSPB nature reserve at Coombes Valley to look for fungi, ran a Dawn Chorus at NT Hare Hill and had lots of fun with a springtime Treasure Hunt at Tittesworth Water. Photograph by Darren Mayer
2 of fantastic fun activities like building a In January our volunteer Leaders completed a sculpture of seals from beach pebbles, busy fortnight of RSPB Big School conducting a whole range of sand Birdwatches for 2017. This year over 1,000 experiments and competing in an obstacle local children took part in one of our sessions course and a sandcastle competition! in ten local Macclesfield schools. We ran two of the Big School Birdwatch events at Victoria Park in conjunction with the Friends of Victoria Park. The team also ran a Birdwatch event at Jodrell Bank Arboretum for local home educators. Throughout the year Leaders visited a range of uniformed and other youth groups to talk about the work of the RSPB, ‘Giving Nature a Home’ or to make nestboxes and insect homes. Leaders of all ages give up their free time and even take time off work to run these sessions.
Photograph by Susan Wilson
School and Group Visits
Photograph by Martin James
The Macclesfield Big Bird Box Build
The Macclesfield Big Bird Box Build project has been an incredible success. As well as surpassing all of our original aims, it has been a fantastic opportunity to work with so many sections of our community to provide lots more nestboxes in more locations across the Photograph by Martin James Macclesfield area. Local conservation 3 organisations, groups, charities and wildlife of young people who attend our programme of sites have worked together to create meetings throughout the year. Please tell the something very special. There have already young people you know locally about the been a whole host of success stories such as group – we would love to welcome more successful barn owl, dipper, kestrel and children and teenagers to our meetings. redstart broods and I am sure that there will be many more to come as the project’s ongoing Thanks monitoring efforts report back in coming years. There is still an incredible amount of local Wildlife Explorers would like to thank the Local enthusiasm for providing more new homes for Group Committee and members for their wild birds, however, the project team have to continued and wholehearted support and be realistic and unfortunately the large number encouragement for all of our projects and of volunteer hours needed to administer and activities. The Team would also like to thank monitor an ever-expanding project of this our own members and their families as well as nature means that we will be winding the all those within the wider community who Macclesfield Big Bird Box Build down over the support our education and conservation next season. We would like to thank everyone initiatives. Connecting children to nature has who has contributed to the project particularly never been more important – with your Dave Bromont, who made so many of our nest backing and help we make learning about box kits and the South Manchester Ringing nature and the environment fun and Group who are doing much of the nest box meaningful for lots of local children and monitoring. groups.
End of Season celebrations Tina Hanak Wildlife Explorer Leader Our season closed with a summer party where party food (with lots of jelly), fun and games You can follow RSPB Wildlife Explorers combined with special attendance awards. The on Facebook and on Twitter @Maccwildlife most important award of the evening was The Lin Townsley Award for Young Persons Contribution to Nature Conservation , in Conservation work memory of the founder of our group. This year the award went to Wildlife Explorer Grace aka ‘Doing Stuff’ Podmore (above), who not only attended more meetings during the pportunities at the start of the year than any other 2017/18 season for ‘Doing Stuff’ Wildlife Explorer but volunteers will be closely linked to she has also O the Wildlife Explorers programme. contributed to lots of All offers of help will be most welcome so additional please come along and see me at the ‘Doing conservation Stuff’ table at the Indoor Meetings. These are initiatives in her free held at the Macclesfield Methodist Church on time. As well as the second Tuesday of the month between planting wildflowers September and May. We are located at the top for ‘Grow Wild’ and of the main hall during the interval as well as painting nestboxes before and immediately after the meeting. for The Macclesfield Big Bird Box Build, We have plans to undertake conservation work most recently Grace at Jodrell Bank and at RSPB Coombes Valley Photograph by Susan Wilson added to several of reserve. So please come and join us. our contributions to the Wildlife Trust campaign ‘30 Days Wild’. Abercrombie Conservation Officer Next Season
Although we support more projects and visit more schools and groups each year, the lifeblood of Wildlife Explorers is the core group
4 Wildlife Explorers at Jodrell Bank’s Bluedot Festival 2017
activities to engage and olunteers from Macclesfield RSPB Wildlife Explorers took part in an inspire families. The unforgettable weekend at Jodrell Feely boxes were a big Bank’s Bluedot Festival at the start of hit (despite the odd V scream when fingers July. The weekend was an incredible mix of music, made contact with the science, jelly slugs!) and culture and everyone enjoyed arts. Bluedot is matching creatures to an award- their man-made wildlife winning homes. The skull festival of collection was discovery in fascinating for visitors the grounds of of all ages – an a deep space incredible opportunity observatory. to compare and Set against a contrast the skeletal backdrop of adaptations of some of our familiar countryside the iconic animals and birds. The team also ran regular Lovell bug hunts in the Arboretum and the occasional Telescope at binocular workshop for interested families. Jodrell Bank, Bluedot Over the three days of the Bluedot Festival combines a over 1500 people took part in one or more truly stellar hands-on nature activities (most of them did line-up of three or four!). That is a fantastic achievement music with a for our team. Visitors from as far away as ground- Cornwall and Northern Scotland were drawn to breaking the stall to talk to our volunteers about ‘Giving programme of live science experiments, expert Nature a Home’. We were nearly always busy talks and immersive artworks. and every member of the team did a brilliant job, however, the younger members of the team particularly impressed with the mature and knowledgeable way they approached all the activities - from running mini-beast hunts to explaining the way starfish locomote.
Wildlife Explorers had a huge amount of really good feedback from both the visitors and the organisers on the impact The Festival has a self-proclaimed mission: of our stall and the • To inspire and entertain activities we ran. The • To explore the frontiers of human group were delighted to advancement. be part of the festival this • To celebrate science and the exploration year and we look forward of the universe. to working closely with • To explore the intersections of science, Jodrell Bank over the culture, art and technology. coming year on a number • To highlight the fragility of planet Earth. of different conservation projects.
Based in the Planet Field, the Wildlife Tina Hanak Wildlife Explorers Leader Explorers stall featured lots of hands-on Pictures from the Wildlife Explorers Library 5 Seeking Teenagers to Join Phoenix
Do you know a local teenager who is interested in wildlife and the environment? Macclesfield RSPB Phoenix could be the place for them.
RSPB Phoenix meetings run in tandem with our Wildlife Explorer group meetings, exploring similar themes and topics but in more depth. We also run special Phoenix meetings ad hoc throughout the season to take advantage of local wildlife sites and events.
For some young people we are also able to offer the chance to volunteer with our team of Leaders (which can count as volunteering towards the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme). Specialist knowledge is not required - just an interest in natural history and an enthusiasm for the natural world. Successful young volunteers also have the chance to formalise their volunteering and register as Junior Leaders with the RSPB.
Please contact Tina Hanak on 07870804413 for more information on our RSPB Phoenix meetings and volunteering opportunities for teenagers.
Combined Charity Christmas Card Shops 2017 Dates for your Diary Wilmslow Opens Saturday 28 October Macclesfield Opens Saturday 4 November Both Shops Close on Saturday 9 December
6 Macclesfield Area Bird Report 2016 - 2017
his year’s report is dedicated to the memory of Tony Bianchi, who died on 7 th July 2017 at the age of 83. Tony was a long-time friend and member of our Local Group who for many years, through his family’s T company Arighi Bianchi and personally, sponsored 'The Heron' and our WOW Extravaganzas. He was a true gentleman who enjoyed all nature and embraced the outdoors. Tony particularly loved watching the birds in his Prestbury garden. He will be greatly missed.
This report includes a selection of the many woodpecker was in a garden in Ryles Park sightings you have sent in over the year (see Road, Macclesfield, while a crossbill was our website www.rspb.org.uk/groups/ near Standing Stone, Macclesfield Forest. macclesfield), plus relevant sightings from On the 29 th a great white egret flew over other sources. As well as the immediate Pumphouse Flash, Sandbach. A common Macclesfield area, it also covers some sites a lizard was seen between Wildboarclough and bit farther away which are frequently visited by Three Shire Heads on the 31 st , when also an our members. Here are the monthly osprey flew over Comberbach. summaries: August 2016 July 2016 (from 16th) The lesser spotted woodpecker continued to On the 17 th a spoonbill was at Neumann’s be seen regularly in the Ryles Park Road garden. On the 15 th a dipper was seen on the River Bollin in Macclesfield, from the footbridge under the Silk Road at the end of Gas Road and also from the Windmill Street bridge. On the 18 th a green sandpiper, a dipper and three kingfishers were along the Bollin Valley Way near Prestbury sewage works. On the 23 rd a great white egret was on Pumphouse Flash. On the 30 th a garganey was on Railway Flash, Sandbach, being joined next day by the great white egret and also a whinchat. Throughout the month the black-necked grebe was still seen at Lapwing Spoonbill by Busby Hall Pool.
September 2016
The month started with a family group of five mistle thrushes in Pearl Street, Prestbury, the Flash, Northwich. On the 18 th a grey wagtail black-necked grebe still at Lapwing Hall Pool, and dipper were in Wildboarclough and a and the great white egret still on the common tern flew over Ridgehill, while next Sandbach Flashes. On the 4 th there was an day golden plover were at Shining Tor. On the amazing but unconfirmed report of a Manx 20 th two arctic terns were at Watch Lane Flash, shearwater at Bosley reservoir. A Sabine’s Sandbach, while two days later a garganey gull was at Elton Hall Flash on ther 5 th . On was at nearby Elton Hall Flash. The 23 rd saw a the 11 th a juvenile kittiwake was at peregrine falcon engaging with a common Tittesworth Reservoir and a pied flycatcher buzzard over Mottram St. Andrew. On the 24 th was at Knypersley Reservoir. The 13 th a black-necked grebe and a common scoter brought a dipper, two kingfishers, a probable were on Lapwing Hall Pool, Chelford, and an scaup/tufted duck hybrid and two mink near arctic tern was at Neumann’s Flash. The 26 th Prestbury sewage works, while next day a saw a glossy ibis at Ashton’s Flash, spotted flycatcher was in the Swanscoe/ Northwich. On the 27 th a lesser spotted Kerridge area. On the 17 th ravens were twice 7 seen and heard over the fields south of 19th a garganey was at Budworth Mere, Thirlmere, Macclesfield. On the 20 th a curlew Marbury Country Park, a little stint joined the sandpiper joined the great white egret at Elton scaup at Neumann’s Flash and another Hall Flash. From the 27 th two spotted crakes scaup was at Astbury Mere. On the 20 th 17 were at Neumann’s Flash, one being a whooper swans were at Tittesworth. Next day juvenile, and a great white egret was also there another five whoopers were on the Sandbach on the 28 th , continuing to be seen well into Flashes, with a rock pipit there on the 24 th , November. A jack snipe was at Haydn’s Pool, when also a curlew was heard in Marbury Country Park on the 29 th . Wildboarclough, most unusual for October. On the 29 th a great grey shrike was at October 2016 Swallow Moss, remaining until at least 11 th November. The month ended with the Early in the month three goosanders were on kittiwake still Leadbeaters Reservoir, Macclesfield. On the at 4th two snipe and a small flock of redwings Tittesworth, were by the Buxton Road above Rainow and a a flock of 20 scaup joined the spotted crake(s) at or more Neumann’s Flash, with a little gull also there on crossbills at the 6 th . A jack snipe was at Neumann’s Flash Standing on the 9 th and next day a short-eared owl flew Stone, and over Antrobus. There were 26 redwings in two black- Prestbury on the 11 th , when also a green necked sandpiper, four snipe, two barnacle geese and grebes still at a blue-phase snow goose were at Bosley Lapwing Hall Reservoir. Next day a dipper, a kingfisher and Pool (one at a raven were near Prestbury sewage works. least On the 15 th a yellow-browed warbler was at continued to Toddbrook Reservoir, Whaley Bridge. On the be seen Crossbill by Busby 8 This page has kindly been sponsored by:- D W Mayer Plumbing & Heating 30 Years Experience: No Job Too Small Repairs, Installations and Service Gas Safe Registered: 302581 Mobile 07773634289 Office 01625 462293 14 Westbrook Drive, Macclesfield, SK10 3AQ there for the rest of the year). goosanders, a grey wagtail, a kingfisher and two snipe were near Prestbury sewage works th November 2016 on the 9 , while next day a peregrine falcon flew over Prestbury village and a great white th On the 2 nd a purple sandpiper was at egret was at Elton Hall Flash. On the 11 three Tittesworth and a great grey shrike was at goldeneyes were at Redesmere, and next day a Errwood Reservoir, remaining until the 26 th , ring-necked duck was at Tittesworth. On the 17 th a single waxwing was near B&Q in with another (or the same one) at Clough th Brook, Wildboarclough on the 14 th . The 3 rd Macclesfield. On the 27 15-20 lesser redpolls, saw two kittiwakes at Tittesworth. On the 8 th a four snipe and ten meadow pipits were at or late red admiral butterfly was at Rydal Place, near Prestbury sewage works, a woodcock was at Bosley and a peregrine flew over South Park, Macclesfield. A common scoter was at th Tittesworth on the 11 th . On the 13 th a waxwing Macclesfield. On the 28 six waxwings were in was over Adlington. At Jodrell Bank on the Biddulph, a dipper was on the Bollin by the big th Tesco’s in Macclesfield, with another on the 15 there were large numbers of siskins and st th lesser redpolls, and also redwing, fieldfare and River Dean in Bollington on the 31 . On the 29 raven. On the 16 th a glaucous gull was on a bittern was in the Coward Reedbed at Railway Flash. The 18 th saw a yellow-legged Budworth Mere and eight waxwings were by gull at Neumann’s Flash. A waxwing was at Lidl in Northwich, with four more in Congleton Wincham on the 20 th . On the 23 rd a glaucous next day. The year ended with an Iceland gull gull was again at the Sandbach Flashes. The on Elton Hall Flash. 25 th found a black-necked grebe at Rostherne Mere, while next day a waxwing was at January 2017 Rudyard Lake. On the 27 th a ruddy shelduck flew over Neumann’s Flash. On the 29 th there On New Year’s Day about 20 waxwings were at were five goosanders on Leadbeaters Disley. Next day a kingfisher and three common Reservoir and two common scoters on gulls were at Redesmere, another kingfisher Budworth Mere. The scaup at Neumann’s was on the canal near Lyme Green, about 100 Flash continued to be seen throughout the redwings and a few fieldfares were near the month Danes Moss Nature Reserve and two ring- necked parakeets were near Poynton Pool. On th December 2016 the 4 about ten crossbills were at the top of Macclesfield Forest and 15 waxwings were at Aldi, Congleton. Two bramblings were in a The month began with a dipper on the River garden in Sandringham Road on the 5 th , with Bollin in Prestbury and nine goosanders on nd more reports elsewhere during the month, Leadbeaters Reservoir. On the 2 two scaups along with reports of siskins, lesser redpolls, and a yellow-legged gull was at Neumann’s blackcaps and winter thrushes. Also on the 5 th a Flash, while next day a common scoter was at black-necked grebe was at Lapwing Hall Pool. Knypersley Reservoir. Another four th th On the 6 the bittern was still at Budworth goosanders were at Poynton Pool on the 6 , Mere. Waxwings appeared in Macclesfield, with along with three mandarins. The same day nine at Ullswater and 25 at Churchill Way on saw a scaup at Budworth Mere. Two more the 6 th , eight at Dorchester Way on the 8 th , four 9 in Jodrell Street on the 9 th , twelve around 11 th , over 90 at Congleton Garden Centre on Broken Cross on the 13 th , 40 at Henbury on the the 14 th , 80 in Abbey Road, Sandbach on the 15 th , six back at Ullswater on the 17 th and 14 at 23 rd and 20 at Broken Cross on the 26 th . A Barracks Lane on the 20 th . Elsewhere there great white egret was on Railway Flash on the were 25 waxwings in Knutsford on the 16 th , 20 9th , with two on Pumphouse Flash on the 18 th . in Rainow on the 28 th and 88 in Newcastle- On the 12 th two Iceland gulls were at the under-Lyme next day. Leaving waxwings for Sandbach Flashes, and next day two barnacle now, on the 7 th a blue-morph snow goose was geese were with the Canadas on Bosley Mere. at Tittesworth, while next day two great white The 15 th saw two long-eared owls at Groby egrets and the Iceland gull were still in the Flash, Sandbach. On the 16 th an early skylark Sandbach Flashes area. On the 11 th a long- was singing above tailed duck was on Astbury Mere, being joined Tagsclough Hill, by a common scoter on the 18 th . On the 13 th a Wildboarclough. On the 19 th in Bollington a peregrine falcon was chasing the pigeons, a red kite flew over and two ravens were displaying. In Styal Skylark by Powell Country Park on the 22 nd the dippers and kingfishers were back in their nesting areas, at least 15 goosanders Long tail duck by Busby were on the Bollin, and dog-walkers were flushing woodcock from the woods. The whooper swan was at Clonter Opera. The 19 th glaucous gull was still on the Sandbach found a glaucous gull on Pumphouse Flash, Flashes. On the 26 th in Sutton there was a while next day a Bewick’s swan was reported peregrine falcon. The bittern was still at over Lapwing Hall Pool. Two little egrets were Budworth Mere on the 28 th . near Bosley crossroads on the 22 nd . On the 28 th eight Eurasian white-fronted geese were March 2017 on Budworth Mere. A dipper was at Clough Brook on the 29 th . The month ended with a Early in the month a hundred or more redhead smew at Redesmere. waxwings were in Downing Close, Macclesfield, completely stripping a February 2017 cotoneaster. Another 40 were in Lyme Park on the 4 th . Also on the 4 th a red kite landed in a On the 1 st the long-tailed duck was still at tree opposite the Rising Sun Inn, Congleton Astbury Mere, remaining until at least the 19 th , Road, Macclesfield, and another was over and the black-necked grebe was still at Higher Poynton on the 8 th . The 9 th found a Lapwing Hall Pool, remaining until at least the common scoter at Sutton Reservoir. On the 18 th . On the 4 th a great grey shrike was at 10 th a dipper was on the Bollin near Toddbrook Reservoir. Four crossbills were Macclesfield railway station and the bittern was near Standing Stone on the 6 th . Also that day still at Budworth Mere. Next day a sand martin 70 waxwings were in Biddulph, with about 80 in was at Marbury Country Park and two bearded Giantswood Lane, Congleton on the 5 th , about tits were at Astbury Mere. On the 12 th 75 35 in Ryles Park Road, Macclesfield on the waxwings were at Lyme Park and an early
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10 swallow was at Elton Hall Flash. By mid-month Buxton on the 6 th , eight in Ivy Lane, singing chiffchaffs were heard at many local Macclesfield on the 8 th , 52 in Mobberley sites. On the 13 th a great grey shrike was again around the 14 th and 20 near Sandbach Fire at Swallow Moss, remaining for the rest of the Station on the 21 st . On the 9 th an osprey was month. Also on the 13 th the Prestbury sewage over Tittesworth. At least 100 sand martins works area produced a grey wagtail, two were over Redesmere on the 10 th , while next goosanders, three kingfishers, a snipe, six day several yellow wagtails were near lapwings and three chiffchaffs, while at Danes Budworth Mere. On the 15 th a Siberian Moss the Breeding Bird Survey had 28 species chiffchaff was on the Middlewood Way north including barn owl. On the 14 th a red kite was of Bollington. Redstarts appeared, with one over Adlington, and next day at Danes Moss singing in Macclesfield Forest on the 16 th and there were oystercatchers. Siskins, lesser another on Kerridge Hill next day. Also house redpolls and bramblings continued to be seen martins arrived, with several in Rainow on the in Macclesfield gardens. On the 16 th at 18 th and more than 150 over Redesmere on Redesmere there were two sand martins, a the 25 th . The 17 th found a scaup on Pick Mere, and next day two whimbrels were on Ashton’s Flash. On the 21 st a Caspian gull joined the glaucous and Iceland gulls on the Sandbach Flashes. On the 23 rd a common scoter was on Railway Flash and a pair of dotterels , a County Rarity in Cheshire, were on Shining Tor. On the 24 th two common sandpipers were at Tittesworth and next day a whinchat was at Ashton’s Flash. At Styal Country Park on the 27 th the first young dipper had fledged and Grey wagtail by Powell there were also breeding kingfishers and grey wagtails, while grey partridges were seen near Twinnies Bridge. An osprey flew over Chelford Sand Quarries on the 28 th . On the 30 th a black shelduck and seven goldeneyes. The 21 st tern and three arctic terns were at Sandbach found a blue-morph snow goose on Flashes, another black tern and a little gull Pumphouse Flash. More waxwings were seen, were at Budworth Mere, five black terns were with 80 on Meadows Way, Biddulph on the 9 th , at Astbury Mere, three black terns were at 12 still in Whaley Bridge on the 12 th , 23 still in Tittesworth and a ring ouzel was near Elton Sandbach on the 21 st , 23 still in Bollington on Hall Flash. The month ended with a dipper at the 22 nd and 100 in Buxton on the 31 st . A Gurnett and a hobby at Danes Moss. swallow was at North Rode on the 26 th and next day seven barnacle geese, two May 2017 oystercatchers and six goosanders were at Tittesworth. On the 30 th about 150 golden On the 1 st single arctic terns were over Tatton plovers were in flight over their traditional Mere and Tittesworth, four black terns and a breeding area around Sparbent. The glaucous common tern were at Astbury Mere, another gull, the Iceland gull and two great white egrets five black terns were at Neumann’s Flash and were seen throughout the month at Sandbach seven were at the Sandbach Flashes. Also Flashes that day a common sandpiper, little ringed plover and garden warbler were at Marbury April 2017 Country Park, a pair of whinchats were at Brereton Heath, 30 golden plovers were at The great grey shrike remained at Swallow Sparbent and a dipper, a pied flycatcher and Moss until the 5 th . On the 2 nd in the Sparbent several grey wagtails were in Wildboarclough. and Danebower area there were lapwings, On the 2nd a grasshopper warbler was heard golden plovers, curlews, a skylark, a pair of near The Cloud, and next day a wood ring ouzels, wheatears and four stonechats. sandpiper was at Budworth Mere and 13 On the 4 th a lesser spotted woodpecker was whimbrels were at Ashton’s Flash. Our ‘Walk excavating a nest hole at Marbury Country with Nature’ on the 4 th to the Three Shire Park and four green sandpipers were at Heads area produced the amazing sighting Haydn’s Pool. Waxwings were still to be found, from the Sparbent layby of a pair of dotterels with nine in a Wilmslow garden on the 4 th , 54 in (presumably those from Shining Tor in April) 11 the 14 th a scaup was on Tatton Mere, while next day a pied flycatcher was in Teggsnose Wood. A great white egret was at the Sandbach Flashes on the 16 th . A garganey was on Railway Flash on the 19 th . During the month at least five singing male yellowhammers were in Styal Country Park.
June 2017 Dotterel by Busby
On the 1 st a quail was singing as it flew near along with golden plovers and lapwings. Other Congleton. The 2 nd saw a Caspian gull at the sightings on the walk included curlew, skylark, Sandbach Flashes, where next day an arctic stonechat, wheatear, ring ouzel and raven, so skua flew over. The same day a water rail if you don’t go on these events, just see what was at Danes Moss. Next day an escaped you could be missing! The first swifts appeared black swan was at Redesmere and in the this month, starting on the 5 th . The first evening in the Goyt Valley a nightjar was cuckoos were heard, with one at Trentabank churring, a cuckoo was heard and a Reservoir on the 7 th and two in the Errwood woodcock flew over. On the 11 th a raven and Hall area of the Goyt Valley on the 10 th , when a hobby were over the Edge at Alderley and also were seen a redstart, a tree pipit and a two male redstarts were competing in song at wood warbler. Another cuckoo was seen near Step Hill, Macclesfield. On the 18 th a Three Shire Heads on the 11 th . On the 9 th a woodcock was again seen in the Goyt Valley wood sandpiper was at Haydn’s Pool, while flying through The Street car park, and next next day a whinchat was at Styal Country Park, day three ravens were over Prestbury. A with another at Woodford Airfield on the 13 th . common scoter was at Astbury Mere on the The glaucous gull was still at Sandbach 29 th . Flashes on the 11 th , while next day a garganey was at Haydn’s Pool and another was at July 2017 (1st - 15th only) Ashton’s Flash along with a grey plover. On The month started with three grey wagtails, three kingfishers and two overflying ravens along the River Bollin near Prestbury Sewage Works. Next day a little egret was on the River Dean in Bollington and the black swan remained at Redesmere. On the 3 rd a great white egret was on Elton Hall Flash, a garganey was on Railway Flash and a common scoter was on Budworth Mere, with 17 next day at Astbury Mere. On the 8 th four barn owls were at different locations in the Macclesfield area and a black kite was over Tatton Park. Twenty four common scoters were on Errwood Reservoir on the 10 th . On the 14 th one or maybe two hobbies were over Macclesfield.
Thus ends the summary of the 2016/2017 recording year. We are very pleased to get your records, so please keep them coming in 2017/2018. Send your records via e-mail to [email protected] or talk directly to our recorder Joan Wilson (01625 426967). Once again, thanks to Joan for all her work on the website in general and the bird records in particular.
Graham Palmer
12
THE RSPB MACCLESFIELD LOCAL GROUP COMMITTEE
MǕǝǒǕǢǣǘǙǠ SǕǓǢǕǤǑǢǩ Lydia Taylor 01260 275248 [email protected] TǢǕǑǣǥǢǕǢ Derek Bailey 01625 430311 [email protected]
IǞǔǟǟǢ PǢǟǗǢǑǝǝǕ SǕǓǢǕǤǑǢǩ Ray Evans 01625 432635 [email protected]
CǟǝǝǙǤǤǕǕ SǕǓǢǕǤǑǢǩ Daryll Bailey 01625 430311 [email protected]
PǥǒǜǙǓǙǤǩ Alan Brereton 01625 615628 [email protected]
EǡǥǙǠǝǕǞǤ David Beer 01625 619861 [email protected]
GǕǞǕǢǑǜ DǥǤǙǕǣ Graham Palmer 01625 420179 [email protected] RSPB SǑǜǕǣ Gǟǟǔǣ OǢǔǕǢǣ Chris Revett 01625 617384 [email protected] CǟǞǣǕǢǦǑǤǙǟǞ Abercrombie 07775 904683 [email protected] WǙǜǔǜǙǖǕ EǨǠǜǟǢǕǢǣ Tina Hanak 07870 804413 [email protected] NǕǧǣǜǕǤǤǕǢ EǔǙǤǟǢ Ian Taylor 01260 275248 [email protected]
OTHER GROUP CONTACTS
BǙǢǔ Fǟǟǔ Dennis Wood 01260 273935 [email protected]
WǕǒǣǙǤǕ Joan Wilson 01625 426967 [email protected]
PǙǞ BǑǔǗǕǣ Rita Howard 01625 420055 [email protected] IǞǔǟǟǢ RǕǖǢǕǣǘǝǕǞǤǣ Jean Evans 01625 432635 [email protected]
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: in England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654
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