Wading In

Around about this time of year birders have usually well & truly turned their thoughts towards migrating wading birds & here on The Quays happens to be no exception. Waders do turn up, with 13 species recorded to date, but finding them seems to require patience, hard work & a little luck as the water levels regularly vary, sometimes daily. An example is The Quays second record of Dunlin that appeared on the dock at Pomona & was feeding happily on the exposed mud on 22nd August. However, the following day the water levels had risen & the bird had departed. Local birders are currently lacking in information regarding what affects the water levels & consequently wader watching is slightly more random than, for example, a coastal site where one can schedule birding around the predicted high-tide time. 

Dunlin taking advantage of the glorious mud on Pomona Dock (photo: Gerry Flanagan)


The commonest wader is the Lapwing, a species of plover, that forms flocks on the Manchester Ship Canal at Weaste, in some numbers, the highest count being 50 birds. Other Plovers recorded on The Quays are Little Ringed, Ringed & Golden Plover. Oystercatchers are fairly regular visitors, & Common Sandpiper sightings appear to be increasing, especially at Pomona, on both Spring & return passage. One glaring gap in the wader list is Green Sandpiper, even though a regular wintering site for this species can be found only 2 miles to the north on the River Irwell. Common Snipe seem to like the boggy areas of Pomona during the winter, & the rarer Jack Snipe & Woodcock have been seen here also. Common Redshank, Red Knot & Bar-tailed Godwit complete the wader list.

As for the future, increased knowledge of the factors that affect the water levels would help, as would a wader scrape or two being built. Until then, wader watchers at The Quays are in for some fun & games! (& hopefully a rarity or two)