tawny owl calling on bickershaw lane @05-36

Kingfisher seen while out running this evening on Westleigh Brook, Leigh.

tawny owl calling on bickershaw lane 05-10 this morning and similar time yesterday.

Barn Owl flew over Crompton Way, Bolton near Hall I'th' Wood station at 10:30pm.

Burleigh Rd. Stretford, street tree feeders -
Young Goldfinch still begging food off parents in the tree canopy, with other young already on the feeders taking their own seed , together with two Greenfinch (10-15 birds in total ) .
Also a lightning visit by a Sparrowhawk (which didn't manage a kill) , leaving to circle high above Chester rd.

Osprey soaring south over Blackrod at 4:40 this afternoon.

Info thank to Andy Makin

A Buzzard flew over the Abraham Moss education complex this afternoon mobbed by several corvids.

Grey Wagtail over Hurst Mill Lane, Glazebury this afternoon whilst working. c30 House Martin about also.

Burleigh Rd. street tree feeders, Stretford.
Standing on the doorstep after filling the feeders at 11.15am this morning I noticed the "clean-up crew" of feral pigeons sat on my roof suddenly departed with a loud clap of communal wings, followed by a swift evacuation of the feeders by c10 goldfinch....20 seconds later a Sparrowhawk glided leisurely past the feeders and landed 20m away in a Beech tree , stayed a moment then glided back past, on the other side of the Beech hedge adjacent the feeders , again landing but in one of the tall Birch trees 20 m away. It stayed 30 seconds or more looking over its shoulder (could have been at me maybe) before it left. A great sight in this built up area .
Less than 5 minutes later everything was back to normal, ie goldfinches on feeders, pigeons on the pavement WATCHING a cat trying to sneak up on them ....as if .

Pinmill Brow/Fairfield Street early afternoon today- one Buzzard (mobbed by a Crow for a bit before being left to it's own devices). Not seen one so close to the City Centre before.

Burleigh Rd, Stretford, street tree feeders -
3 young goldfinch begging and chasing adults around tree eventually getting to the feeders and being joined by a mobile flock c25 of other goldfinches mainly juveniles who don't stay long but keep returning after a while .
Not seen any Greenfinch over the last few days .

Peregrine north over Redgate Recycling, Gorton at 11am this morning (wasn't looking for gulls as I was working!!).

Late post for Saturday 13th August.

Approx 5.00 - 5.30pm. Quick stop at Redgate Recycling in Gorton on way back from a full day delivering in town.

Plenty of usual large Gulls around but one of particular interest just happened to land right near where I was parked. Taking everything into consideration I initially thought Yellow-legged Gull. But I'm always cautious now with Gulls so I wasn't prepared to stick my neck on the line and call it. Maybe I should've done!
Many thanks to Ian and hopefully no issues with the Rarity Committee's decision as and when, it looks like a 3rd summer Yellow-legged Gull.

Burleigh Rd. Stretford street tree feeders -
4 young goldfinch begging and chasing parent around the tree and finally finding
the feeders. They don't quite know what to do when they get there but soon get the hang of it even if they are a bit clumsy and take ages eating each seed .

Juvenile Bullfinch seen in Garden at Gretna Road, Atherton whilst working this week. Also a Pair of Collared Doves in and out of a nest. If you can call it a Nest looks like a couple of twigs.

Single Common Tern and single Grey Wagtail on Canal at Top Lock, Wigan this morning.

Raven and Male Sparrowhawk seen over Foxholes Road, Rochdale while working this week.

ring necked parakeet ,
present in my garden for the last month, feeds on the coconut shells plus the peanuts seems quite content , just comes and go's....

Jay around the Uni Oxford Road campus; magpies and carrion crows are 10 a penny round there, but a jay's not a common sight.

Male Sparrowhawk yesterday in friends garden on Manchester Road, Leigh caught and killed a Male Blackbird.

Burleigh rd . Stretford ,Street tree feeders.
Lots of young birds attending the feeders this week; Blue tits,Great Tits, Goldfinch and Greenfinch (the majority being gold and greenfinches).
Two adult Goldfinch turnded up earlier today with 5 young at the feeders , all begging food.
One by one the clumsey young ones found how to use the feeders.
But as they were feeding a Magpie flew in with it's feet raised; I wasn't sure if it grabbed one . I found it with it's own young one when another adult bird turned up and helped feed it, but not with a goldfinch as 5 young goldfinch returned for more sunflower hearts .

-- Edited by phillipskelly on Sunday 26th of June 2016 04:30:19 PM

2 Peregrine Falcons around Mather Lane, Leigh this morning.

-- Edited by Scott robinson on Sunday 26th of June 2016 03:12:18 PM

house martins taking food to a couple of nest sites on bickershaw lane

Been working on a school in Rochdale this week and seen and heard Raven most days, presumably the same birds over and around foxholes road, Rochdale.

Burleigh rd Stretford, street tree feeders.
5 fledged Blue Tits chasing adults to the feeders again. The adults were breaking up the sunflower seed and feeding it to the young but not always, sometimes giving whole seeds.
One youngster tried pecking at a seed between its feet but dropped it.
Again young Gold and Greenfinch in ones and twos in attendance, plus the 6 Starlings which seem to be a family group with 4 young .
A Great Tit was also present briefly plus a Blackbird taking cherries .

Yesterday S13.06 2.06.16
Street tree feeders, Burliegh rd . Stretford -
About 5 fledged Blue Tits being fed by adults in tall Birch trees at Greatstone Appartments adjacent the feeders. (spotted by Leon , a neighbour ).
The Cherry Tree with the feeders is now producing fruit (which taste really bitter , yuk !) and gangs of Starling keep arriving for the fruit , usually around 6. As well as 1 Mistle Thrush , 2 Woodpigeon and lots of feral pigeon.
On the feeders - Goldfinch young in 1's and 2's plus adults .
Greenfinch young also in 1's and 2's plus adults .
Also nice to see a young House Sparrow being fed , as well as 2 adults taking seed from the feeders.
2 Blackbird (m) also taking fruit .
Ps. 4 adult Lesser Black-back Gulls came in low over the tree several times but didn't land.
Also no sign of the young Blue Tits today mon13.06.16 .

Tawny owl calling over my house in Moss Side at 10.20pm but I'd just locked the back door so didn't see it. A garden tick missed doh!

Burleigh rd. Stretford , street tree feeders -
1st. Fledged Greenfinch, seen feeding itself on the feeders at 6.15 pm today .

Burleigh rd. Stretford , Street tree feeders - Recently fledged Goldfinch feeding itself on sunflower hearts at 1.20pm today.

Burleigh rd Stretford, Steet Tree feeders, Just seen a fledged Goldfinch begging food off adults.
I heard it last week and also midweek but couldn't find it.
It's fairly early to find one compared to last year .

2 male Blackcap singing from either side of the outdoor section of B&Q in Leigh this am

A cuckoo was a nice surprise on the land I watch off Crime Lane outside Ashton this afternoon.

Swallows staring to nest in the stables, and chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap, whitethroat, linnet, bullfinch and lapwing also about.

Friday 27.05.16
Feral pigeon with Pink shoulders still outside the old post office ,Kingsway, Stretford feeding on bread with about 50 others at 5.45pm.
Looks like it's gonna get it's p45 if it ever gets back to it's loft.

phillipskelly wrote:

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Saw a feral pigeon feeding with others on the grass outside the old Stretford post office adjacent Kingsway./>It had a mainly dappled white body but PINK shoulders !!!
Do pigeon keepers spray their birds ?
There was another pigeon with it wearing a Blue ring on its right Leg.

-- Edited by phillipskelly on Wednesday 25th of May 2016 08:23:39 PM

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Sounds like a couple of racing pigeons slumming it with the locals

Oystercatcher flew west over Barton bridge M60 8.40am today

Saw a feral pigeon feeding with others on the grass outside the old Stretford post office adjacent Kingsway./>It had a mainly dappled white body but PINK shoulders !!!
Do pigeon keepers spray their birds ?
There was another pigeon with it wearing a Blue ring on its right Leg.

-- Edited by phillipskelly on Wednesday 25th of May 2016 08:23:39 PM