diggleken

My 'cup' belonged to Harry Percival, who lived at Smithy Bridge and was once a curator at Rochdale Museum. I first came across his name in my AW book 'Rakings Up' in the early 1990s. Then, via the aforementioned Peter Hill, I got a chance to read his nature diaries of the Hollingworth Lake area (it's amazing, he talks about corncrakes on Wildhouse Lane, Milnrow!). In fact Peter used his records in his Birds of Rochdale book. Peter Hill was a really decent bloke and a very good all-rounder, one of the old school and the type of natural historian I really respect. I suppose it was Peter who got me into wildlife beyond birds.
What is this about a juv' red kite at Tatton in 1995 (from your forum post)? Did they breed there? If so, that is one hell of a good record.

Chris

Oh, look at that picture. The great Ammon. I've recently bought a Milnrow relic off Ebay (an old cup!) from a lady down south. It was her grandfather's and he turned out to be a local historian and naturalist who I am familiar with (who's fabulous old nature diaries I once had the pleasure of reading a few years ago) who was good friends with Ammon. A small world I guess.

Chris

Cheers, Ken :(

Who is Ronaldo btw?? lol

Hi Ken, just letting you know I got a reply from Roy Taylor this morning and he said he would forward my email to Kirsten Whittaker who is their volunteers officer, so will just have to wait and see if anything comes of it. Thanks for helping me out with it all :)


James

lol! Yer it was a brilliant idea wasn't it, Ken? lol.....not much goes on in there though unfortunately....or maybe that's a good thing? :-) D, x

Hi Ken, it seems another Saddleworth local has joined WAB! we should start a club lol. They were asking about animals that could be seen in Saddleworth in a thread in General Wildlife, I thought maybe you could post some info as you know a lot about the local wildlife :)

James

Do you think? I dunno, I see other people's photo's and think blimey mine are rubbish.

Thanks Ken :), that's great. I haven't rang that mobile number you gave me yet but I was planning to tomorrow, plus I went to the Brownhill centre and was given a number and to ask a lady called Jane so will call her too! It's all moving forward! :). Thanks for the tips. I keep trying to remind myself to take my camera, I think it'll be easier when I start getting out and about a bit more, mind you whatever I manage to snap would probably be a bit dodgy like it normally is, but I suppose I'll just keep practicing. I enjoyed the falconry display at the Saddleworth Show today, did you watch it? managed to get a few snaps, none of them good though!

:-) Thanks Ken :-)

Sorry late in replying, been up on Mull for a week then rather busy since I got back. Buzzards are definitely on the up in the South Pennines.
Mull was top notch. Iffy weather, but did manage to see my corncrakes (3) on Iona, one must be very patient though. You hear them all over the island, but seeing them, very difficult. Saw both eagles and otter too and managed to photograph a twite on Staffa that was rung last winter in Southport!
Hope the op' went well.

Chris