bird id please

[captaincarot]

i went up to blackstone edge earlier on today we only stayed for about 10 minutes because it was blowing a gale so much so that i couldn't even hold myself steady enough to look through my binoculars,

but i did get a quick look at one bird, it was on the rocks on the shorline of the reservoir, right up on the top of the hill. it was small about the size of a robin but looked greyish, when it flew away it had a bright white rump, could it have been anything other than a wheatear?

sorry but couldn't get any pics as it wasn't around for long, it was too windy to keep steady and it was a bit too far away also.

[aeshna5]

It does sound like a Wheatear from the size, greyish plumage + white rump + behaviour fits too.

[diggleken]

hi Cap - from local knowledge, youre spot on - only wheatear is possible from that description and locality.
cheers
Ken

[captaincarot]

cheers chaps.

it was a bit bleak up there this afternoon, nearly blew me over the bluddi wall in to the resser so we gave it up as a bad job an went and hid in the trees at hollingworth lake.

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by captaincarot

cheers chaps.

it was a bit bleak up there this afternoon, nearly blew me over the bluddi wall in to the resser so we gave it up as a bad job an went and hid in the trees at hollingworth lake.

There's plenty of wheatears up there captain. Keep your eyes out for twite as well next time.
Was there owt decent on t' Lake? I rarely go there these days, too busy.

Regards, Chris

[captaincarot]

it was the only thing i saw up there but we were only there about 5 minutes. more like mid january than august.

we did see a very heavily plumed grey heron down in the fields by holingworth and a rather ambitious sparrow hawk trying to catch some house martens right down the bottom of the wood reserve.

born wild had never seen a dipper so we'd gone away from the lake hoping to find one.

[diggleken]

Originally Posted by captaincarot

it was the only thing i saw up there but we were only there about 5 minutes. more like mid january than august.

we did see a very heavily plumed grey heron down in the fields by holingworth and a rather ambitious sparrow hawk trying to catch some house martens right down the bottom of the wood reserve.

born wild had never seen a dipper so we'd gone away from the lake hoping to find one.

Dippers are very common and usually(!) dead easy in Saddleworth - river tame at dobcross garden centre area, greenfield brook near cricket club area and lots of others are very good bets..............! Good luck!
Cheers
Ken

[captaincarot]

ooh duly noted thankyou

[rossy]

well captain your right about the bird up blackstone edge as a mate of mine told me earlier a pair of rare birds had nested up off the old roman road i cant remember what he said they where but will find out and let you know. when you went round the lake you should have gone to the back and followed the path past rakewood and under the motorway bridge m62 along there a colony of sand martins have been there for a couple of years now and i was up there last week. also kestrels nest under motorway and have for years. rossy rochdale.

[ChrisJB]

Good bet for dippers Captain, near the Lake, as previously said is Longden End Brook (going up Rakewood and past Longden End into Whiteley Dean (not named on modern maps). Perhaps even better is Ealees, the wooded valley between the visitors centre and the canal at Durn.
Up New Hey is good too, my most relaible location of all in the Rochdale area. Check out Piethorne Brook, from Peppermint Bridge past Paddy Greenhalgh's mill and then further up Ogden, especially round the top end of Piethorne Res'.
Healey Dell used to be good for them, but not been up there for yonks. The wooded cloughs around Naden and Norden are a good bet too.
Happy hunting.

Regards, Chris