Birding in Greater Manchester

CLUBS, SOCIETIES AND RECORDING GROUPS

CLUBS

Indoor meetings winter season 2005-6

Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group
Founded 2002. See separate page on this website for details. Contact the county recorder, Judith Smith at judith@gmbirds.freeserve.co.uk if you wish to join.
Manchester Ornithological Society (formerly Greater Manchester Bird Club)
Meet at St James' Church Hall, Church Rd, Gatley, Tuesdays at 7:30pm
Contact: Robert Sandling, Maths Dept, University of Manchester, M13 9PL tel. 0161 275 5807. £1 charge at meetings.
Indoor Meetings 2005-6:
4th Apr Sue & Allan Parker Birding South Yorkshire
Altrincham and District Natural History Society
Contact: Claire Joures (secretary) on 0161 928 4513, or for queries about the programme, Anne Mason on 0161 980 8645
Meet at Hale Methodist Church Hall, Oak Rd, off Hale Rd, Hale at 7.30pm on Tuesdays; 50p charge includes refreshments:
Hale Ornithologists
Contact: Diana Grellier, 8 Apsley Grove, Bowdon, Altrincham, WA14 3AH Tel: 0161 928 9165
Meet at St. Peter's Assembly Rooms, Cecil Rd, Hale at 7:45pm; 50p attendance fee for members, £1.50 for guests:
Indoor Programme 2005-6:
Jun 14th Patagonia and the Antarctic John Raines
Jul 12th Members' Evening (tickets to be obtained in advance)
Sep 13th AGM and the Cheshire Show Stephen Wharfe
Irlam and Cadishead Natural History Society
Contact: Mrs Ann Murphy, 49 Overdale Crescent, Flixton, M41 5GR Tel. no. 0161 748 8153
Leigh Ornithological Society
Contact: Secretary - Raymond Meredith, 24 Samuel St, Hindsford, Atherton M46 9AY; tel 01942 793555 email raymond.meredith@ntlworld.com
Meet at the Derby Room, Leigh Library, Fridays at 7:30pm
Indoor Programme 2005-6:
Website: www.leighos.org.uk
Marple Naturalists
Contact: Kath Barkley, 8 Cromley Road, High Lane, Stockport. Tel: 01663 765609

Stockport Birdwatching Society

RSPB LOCAL GROUPS
Bolton: Contact: Chris Johnson, 65 Lever Park Ave., Horwich, BL6 7LQ 01204 468850 email:anthony@ajohnson65.fsbusiness.co.uk
Meet at Assembly Hall, Smithills School, Smithills Dean Rd., Bolton, 7.30pm, Thursdays: admission charge £1.50 for local group members and £3.00 for visitors.
Indoor meetings in 2005-6:
High Peak: Group Leader: Peter Griffiths, 17 Clifton Drive, Marple SK6 6PP Tel: 0161 427 5325
Venue: Marple: Senior Citizen's Hall, adjacent Regent cinema, The Memorial Park, Stockport Rd, Marple, at 7.30pm.

Indoor programme 2005-6:

Sep 4th AGM, followed by a talk "Pyreneen Odyssey" by Joan Potts
Sep 18th Looking at waders Charles Brown
Oct 16th Pharaohs and pratincoles John Wyatt
Nov 20th Bird habitats of the the Pennines and Scotland Gordon Yates
Dec 11th Christmas Party
Manchester: Group Leader Peter Wolstenholme, 31 South Park Rd, Gatley SK8 4AL tel: 0161 428 2175
Meet at St. James Parish Church Hall, Gatley Green, Church Rd, Gatley on Mondays at 7:30pm unless otherwise stated. Gold collection.

Stockport: Group Leader: Brian Hallworth, 69 Talbot St., Hazel Grove, Stockport SK7 4BJ Tel: 0161 456 5328
Meet at Stockport College of Technology (Lecture Theatre B), Greek St. entrance, Wellington Rd South, Stockport on the second Monday of the month at 7:30pm:

Indoor programme 2005-6:

Wigan: Contact: Derek Sidebotham at derek.dsc@btinternet.com or telephone 01942 248238
Meet at Wigan Council for Voluntary Youth Service premises, Penson St., off Wigan Lane, Tuesdays at 7:45pm; free to members, £1 for visitors.

Indoor Programme 2005-6
SITE RECORDING GROUPS
Audenshaw Ornithology Group (Audenshaw and Gorton Reservoirs)

Contact:Roy Travis, 188 Smallshaw Lane, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 8RA Tel: 0161 330 2607 Email: rtravis@tiscali.co.uk
Please note that a permit is required for Audenshaw Reservoirs, obtainable from Ed Lawrance, United Utilities, Bottoms Office, Woodhead Rd., Tintwistle, Glossop, SK13 1HS; applicants must be members of RSPB or other national organisation and be prepared to submit records annually. A passport-sized photo should be sent with applications.
Cotterill Clough SSSI

Contact: Selwyn Forster, 35 Biddall Drive, Baguley, Manchester M23 1PE Tel: 0161 374 6376
Restricted access
Elton Bird Recording Group (Elton and Withins Reservoirs)

Contact: Peter Baron, 17 Elton Brook Close, Elton, Bury BL8 2SN Tel: 0161 761 6531 Mobile:07870973985 Email: peter.baron2@btinternet.com
Heaton Park Reservoir

Contact: Pete Berry, 145 Higher Green Lane, Astley, M29 7JA Tel: 01942 870810
Permit required; no access otherwise, from address for Audenshaw Reservoirs above. Locked hide, key with permit, log in hide.
Hope Carr Reserve

Records in log at garden gate of warden's house, 1 Hope Carr Terrace or to Ian McKerchar, 42 Green Ave, Astley M29 7EH, tel: 01942 701758
Email: ian@mckerchar1.freeserve.co.uk
Medlock Valley, Castleshaw Reservoirs, Dovestones, Strinesdale

Oldham Countryside Service, c/o K. Butterworth, Strinesdale Visitor Centre, Old Waterworks. Holgate St., off Culvert St., Waterhead, Oldham OL4 2JJ Tel: 0161 620 8202 Email: kath.butterworth@care4free.net
Mersey Valley

Sale Water Park, Visitor Centre, Rifle Rd., Sale M33 2LX Tel:0161 905 1100
Countryside Warden: Hilary Wood

Chorlton Water Park, off Maitland Ave, Chorlton. Tel:0161 881 5639 (ask for Pete Hines)
email:mersey-valley@mcr1.poptel.org.uk

website: www.merseyvalley.org.uk

Pennington Flash
Wigan Ranger Service, Pennington Flash, St. Helens Rd, Leigh, WN7 3PA Tel: 01942 605253
Visitor centre restricted to toilets only. As at 31.8.05, records are no longer being sent automatically to the county recorder and Leigh OS (we have to apply for them under the Freedom of Information Act/Environmental Information Regulations 2005). This causes delays, although we feel assured that a complete set will be available in time for the county report in 2005. Therefore, if you wish to send in reports for the monthly summary on this site, please email your records directly to the county recorder.

Piethorne Reservoirs
Contact: Anne Symonds, Ranger’s Office, Waterworks Rd., New Hey Rd, Rochdale, OL16 5BQ. Tel: 01706 881049

Shell Carrington Reserve (private access, permit required: £20 p.a.)
Contact: Chris Neild, 70 Ardenfield Drive, Peel Hall, Manchester M22 5DD Tel: 0161 436 7551 email: chrisneild@surfbirder.com

Wigan Flashes
Lancashire Wildlife Trust Senior Project Officer: Mark Champion, Clifton St. Community Centre, Clifton St., Worsley Mesnes, Wigan WN3 5HN Tel: 01942 233976 Mobile 07710 444047
Email: lwt@wiganflashes.wanadoo.co.uk

MISCELLANEOUS
Mossland Barn Owl Conservation Group

An informal group of birdwatchers who have built and installed 30+ Barn Owl nestboxes at mossland and other sites, mainly in the south-west of the county, during 1997-2002. Members have also made Willow Tit boxes and Long-eared Owl "baskets". Contact Judith Smith on 01942 712615 for further details.
A useful link is the Barn Owl Conservation Trust website:www.barnowl.org.uk
RECORDS FOR OTHER WILDLIFE
Bolton Museum, our county biological recording centre. Tel: 01204 333333 ex.2211/2197
Email: natural.history@bolton.gov.uk

LINKS TO OTHER BIRDERS' WEBSITES IN GREATER MANCHESTER
Jimmy McGowan's local patches are the Abram Flashes and Pennington Flash. His website is http://free.hostdepartment.com/j/jimmymcgowan/home.htm
David Winnard collects records of flora and fauna for the Rochdale area. His illustrated website is www.wildlifeofrochdale.co.uk
LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTIES
East Lancs Ornithologists' Club - www.eastlancsornithologists.org.uk
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