Afternoon Visit to Rostherne Mere 10th October 2012

Afternoon Visit to Rostherne Mere 10th October 2012

After our rather disappointing visit to Sandbach Flashes we decided, after a spot of lunch at the Bells of Peover, to drop in on the hide at Rostherne Mere. We had previously been there most recently during the Open Day when we joined the Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society (CAWOS) and also got an eighteen month’s subscription to use the hide at Rostherne Mere. When we arrived there were, as we expected, a few local birders installed in one of the two sections of the hide. They looked like they were permanent fixtures and I think we expected this sort of thing. However, instead of steely looks, as we reached the door of the hide a chap who was smoking his pipe outside the hide made us feel very welcome and for starters straight away pointed out to us a lifer for us – a pair of Common Scoter near the far side of the mere.

We kept watching these Scoters hoping that they would come closer but they stuck resolutely to the deep water. Visibility wasn’t that good but you could see the male was all black (apart from yellow patch on bill) and his tail was sharply pointing upwards out of the water. The female was, of course, brown. I think we may have struggled ourselves to make a positive id of the bird though we would have known that it wasn’t something we had seen before, so it was reassuring to have an expert confirming their identity. He also pointed out a female Goosander, also in the distance but unmistakeable when it untucked its bill from under its wig to show the razor bill.

There were quite a few Tufted Ducks on the water and some Wigeon in the distance. The Cormorant roost had 38 birds clearly visible and probably more flying around. As we sat there several Great Crested Grebes swam into view and there were Gulls and Canada geese as well. On the bird table the usual array of tits and Chaffinches and Nuthatches came and went regularly. We saw at least two Jays and there may have been more around. Blackbirds and Magpies also rooted around in the field below the hide and on one of the trees right in front of the hide but at the water’s edge alighted a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

We spent a couple of hours there and were rather pleased with our visit. The Scoters had helped, of course, but we thought it was the sort of place we could get used to. There is more to it than meets the eye and we look forward to going there again.

Bird Sightings : Rostherne Mere : Elton Hall Flash