Where are all the Goldeneye ?.

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steve
Grey Wagtail
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:24 pm
Location: Adlington

Where are all the Goldeneye ?.

Post by steve »

1 Goldeneye on the rivington/anglezarke complex this winter. Twenty years ago i would count 20/30 even 40 birds. Anybody any idea where the goldeneye are these days ?. Is there a european decline or is there to much disturbance up rivington now ?. Thinking back i remember seeing biggish parties of tufted, teal, wigeon,pochard, mallard into four figures, 300/400 canada geese............nothing around anymore.

steve.
Neil Southworth
Avocet
Posts: 5572
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:57 pm

Post by Neil Southworth »

Hi Steve,

The number of Goldeneye on the Anglezarke / Rivington complex has been diminishing for 2 or 3 years now, for no obvious reason. I think that nationally the species is supposed to be on the increase, but you could have fooled me. As you say, this year is the worst so far. There are a few at High Rid reservoir between Horwich and Bolton, and last year there were three figure counts at Audenshaw reservoir near Hyde, so maybe they've just found a better site. High Bullough reservoir always used to be the best site in the area, but in the last two or three years, there have been better counts from Lower Healey.

As for other species, I think they all just go to Martin Mere or Wigan and Pennington flashes.

Neil
Chris Rae
Peregrine
Posts: 1818
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:35 pm

Post by Chris Rae »

These were half the two drakes and four ducks on Lower Healey when I visited in March 2008.

Image

Maybe they'll be back with their offspring sometime.

Image

Chris.
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