Arnfield Reservoir & Swallows Wood Bird List

This blog was created as a static page to list the birds seen around Arnfield Reservoir and Swallows Wood. Since 1984 I have kept a diary of the birds I have seen within walking distance of my house. From this diary I have compiled a list of birds seen either within the enclosure wall of Arnfield Reservoir or the surrounding fields. The criteria for entry is that the birds were recorded within approximately 500m of the proposed route of the Mottram-Tintwistle Bypass. A summary of this list was submitted to the Highways Agency as part of my objection to the said bypass.

This list was inspired by an article by W.M.Underwood published in the Greater Manchester Bird Report of 1978. Titled "A Longdendale Century" it describes how the author manages to record 100 species of bird in a single year at a site in the lower Longdendale Valley. Whilst the location is not disclosed it is obviously Arnfield Reservoir.

a "B" next to the bird indicates evidence of breeding.

1. Red Throated Diver
2. Little Grebe B
3. Great Crested Grebe
4. Cormorant
5. Heron
6. Mute Swan
7. Canada Goose B
8. Greylag Goose
9. Pink Footed Goose
10. Shelduck
11. Teal
12. Mallard B
13. Shoveler
14. Pochard
15. Tufted Duck B
16. Goldeneye
17. Goosander
18. Hen Harrier
19. Sparrowhawk B
20. Buzzard
21. Kestrel B
22. Peregrine Falcon
23. Hobby
24. Red Grouse B
25. Grey Partridge B
26. Pheasant B
27. Moorhen B
28. Coot B
29. Oystercatcher B
30. Little Ringed Plover B
31. Golden Plover
32. Lapwing B
33. Sanderling
34. Dunlin
35. Snipe B
36. Woodcock
37. Curlew B
38. Redshank B
39. Common Sandpiper B
40. Black-headed Gull
41. Common Gull
42. Lesser Black Backed Gull
43. Great Black Backed Gull
44. Herring Gull
45. Common Tern
46. Stock Dove
47. Woodpigeon B
48. Collared Dove B
49. Cuckoo B
50. Little Owl B
51. Tawny Owl B
52. Swift
53. Kingfisher
54. Green Woodpecker B
55. Great Spotted Woodpecker
56. Skylark
57. Swallow B
58. House Martin
59. Tree Pipit B
60. Meadow Pipit B
61. Grey Wagtail B
62. Pied Wagtail B
63. Yellow Wagtail
64. Waxwing
65. Dipper
66. Wren B
67. Dunnock B
68. Robin B
69. Redstart B
70. Wheatear
71. Whinchat
72. Stonechat
73. Ring Ouzel
74. Blackbird B
75. Fieldfare
76. Song Thrush B
77. Redwing
78. Mistle Thrush B
79. Chiffchaff B
80. Willow Warbler B
81. Blackcap
82. Sedge Warbler B
83. Goldcrest B
84. Spotted Flycatcher
85. Pied Flycatcher B
86. Long Tailed Tit B
87. Coal Tit B
88. Blue Tit B
89. Great Tit B
90. Nuthatch B
91. Treecreeper B
92. Great Grey Shrike
93. Jay B
94. Magpie B
95. Jackdaw B
96. Rook
97. Carrion Crow B
98. Starling B
99. House Sparrow B
100. Chaffinch B
101.Brambling
102. Greenfinch B
103. Goldfinch B
104. Siskin
105. Linnet
106. Twite
107. Redpoll B
108. Bullfinch B
109. Reed Bunting B