Jonathan Platt wrote:

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Steve Scrimgeour wrote:

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On drive into work this morning 0820ish.

Field 73 held 4 Guinea Fowl, 3 Black& 1 White.

Now back in December whilst heading into Partington opposite the Papermill, I saw what I assumed were 20-30 Guinea Fowl in the fenced off bit of land, but never thought anymore of it as it was semi light and couldn't get my head round , why Guinea Fowl would be in Partington

To get to where they are now is a far trek, and surprised no one else has seen them...

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Don't know if it's the case here Steve, but gamekeepers occasionally release Guinea fowl along with their Pheasant in late summer. The reasoning behind this is that Guinea fowl make a great deal of noise if any predators - human or otherwise - approach the release pens. These birds aren't shot, they're fully-winged and often stay around the area all year so long as food is provided.

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Seems strange that they would want to release them in an industrial area, my initial thoughts were they had been dumped due to their location......guess we will never know...

Steve Scrimgeour wrote:

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On drive into work this morning 0820ish.

Field 73 held 4 Guinea Fowl, 3 Black& 1 White.

Now back in December whilst heading into Partington opposite the Papermill, I saw what I assumed were 20-30 Guinea Fowl in the fenced off bit of land, but never thought anymore of it as it was semi light and couldn't get my head round , why Guinea Fowl would be in Partington

To get to where they are now is a far trek, and surprised no one else has seen them...

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Don't know if it's the case here Steve, but gamekeepers occasionally release Guinea fowl along with their Pheasant in late summer. The reasoning behind this is that Guinea fowl make a great deal of noise if any predators - human or otherwise - approach the release pens. These birds aren't shot, they're fully-winged and often stay around the area all year so long as food is provided.

On drive into work this morning 0820ish.

Field 73 held 4 Guinea Fowl, 3 Black& 1 White.

Now back in December whilst heading into Partington opposite the Papermill, I saw what I assumed were 20-30 Guinea Fowl in the fenced off bit of land, but never thought anymore of it as it was semi light and couldn't get my head round , why Guinea Fowl would be in Partington

To get to where they are now is a far trek, and surprised no one else has seen them...

Last night 1830-2100hrs..

Easter holidays so no chance of a quiet one as Alicia (9) wanted to come.

Went for a mooch on the off chance of Ring Ouzel, but to no avail.

Farmer was spraying field 4 when we arrived, then proceeded to field 2.
1 Buzzard sat on Shell NR fence post, then chased of by numerous crows.
1 Swallow over Field 4,
Old Orchard was full of Blue Tits and Great Tits
Yellowhammers in their favoured bushes at top of 4 giving great views and made a little girl fall in love with them, she now wants one.....lol.
The main track between 4 -12 & 13, the farmer had flushed onto the path 1 Red legged Partridge and 2 Grey Partridge, all ran along path and disappeared in field 4 .
Field 12 held 2 Wheatears
Field 13 held 1 Wheatear
Numerous Rooks, Jackdaws and Crows also in 12 & 13.
Swiss Cottage held 20 Goldfinches and 1 Greenfinch. On way back as light was going Tawny Owl, seemed to be calling out ot the Leylandii at back of house.
The Path up to Altrincham ETW, plenty of Robins and Wrens and 1 Willow Tit just as heads up the side of Utd training Ground.

17:00 - 19:00 - mainly searching for Ring Ouzel (unsuccessfully).
Ploughing of field 25 still in progress and few birds of note except for 60+ Linnet.
Field 27 - 8 Wheatears and 1 Fieldfare.
White Wagtail in field 69; also up to 5 seen in field 32 but they were very mobile and arrived and left within less than 5 minutes. This was in contrast to the 8 Pied Wagtails there who moved little in the 20 minutes that I watched the field.

Additional report from yesterday (14th April) for Dark Lane: Tree Sparrow, also 2 Willow Tits appears to have taken up a territory.

14/04/15 1930-2000
F77 = 2 Grey Partridge
F60 = 6 Wheatear & 9 Fieldfare
F35 = 1 Kestrel
F115 = 1 Kestrel

At least seven Wheaters in F25. The farmers are currently ploughing at the northern side of the field so all the Wheatears (that i saw (looking into the sun)) where at the southeast corner close to F70. No sign for me of the Ring Ouzel. Another Wheatear in F32 along with a few Fieldfares and a couple of Yellowhammers.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 14th of April 2015 08:16:37 PM

Walk from Isherwood Road to ETW, then return via Orchard.

Ring Ouzel 2
Willow Tit 1 singing near Swiss Cottage and 1 singing in Orchard.
Yellowhammer 8
Linnet 6
Chiffchaff 6 singing.
Buzzard 2
Blackcap 7 singing.
Willow Warbler 2 singing.
Grey Partridge 2 in Carrington Riding Centre paddock next to Isherwood Road.

etc.etc.etc.

Walk from Dunham Crematorium to ETW and return this morning 11 am- 2 pm. Female Ring Ouzel in F25 ,keeping close to hedgerow bordering F70. Also in F 25: 6 Wheatears, single Lapwing, 2 Linnets and a Yellowhammer. Otherwise plenty of birds seen en route,including 3 Buzzards, at least a dozen Chiffchaff's heard, ( five seen), eight Willow Warblers, three male Blackcaps in full song, two pairs of Bullfinches, a few other Yellowhammers and plenty of usuals. Five Sand Martins around ETW, three Pied Wagtails in horse paddocks and a pair of Gadwall,one Coot,two Canada Geese and a Little Grebe on first pool. Cheers Chris

Ditto my Alty ETW comments.

Am visit:

Ring Ouzel 2 in trees between f2 and f4. Flew off over F11.

1 Wheatear - F1
3 Swallow

Defying doctors orders had a 5hr mooch on the Moss yesterday, although feeling it today..

so 0600 - 1100hrs

Walked from Isherwood Rd, along the path bordering field 4 and Shell, up past the Old Orchard, past Swiss Farm and upto the Altrincham Sewage Works and back.
Extremely foggy to start with not much showing in the fields on the way out.

Yellowhammers and Bullfinches were order of the day along the paths along field 4 and Old Orchard.
Fields 4, 12 & 13 seemed to hold 5 or 6 Skylarks, all singing away flying around at head height on way out, much higher up on way back as the fog burnt off.
Field 13 held 2 Wheatears which were tricky to see through the fog, also a possible female Grey Partridge although this hunkered down facing away from me in the longer grass of field 12.

Goldfinches were in around Swiss Farm, with 2 Greenfinches and several Yellowhammers sat the fence, at Utd.
Treecreepers nesting , surprised no Blackcaps around, put it down to the weather.

By far my bird of the day was a stonking Brambling, in Old Orchard on the way back, stunning Orange, Black and White, which gave great views for 5 mins or so..

Again put down to the weather, not one Buzzard, Kestrel or Peregrine spotted, plenty of Woodpeckers drumming in the distance also...

All in all 32 species seen.



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 7th of April 2015 12:56:41 PM

Walk from Isherwood Road to ETW.

Yellowhammer 6
Chiffchaff 8 singing.
Treecreeper 1 carrying nest material.
Oystercatcher 1
Meadow Pipit 2
Kestrel 1m.
Buzzard 1

Two Little Egrets first seen 08:30 chased by crows over field 29. Later 08:45 to al least 09:45 perched in trees in North East corner of Brookheys Covert and visible from both ends of field 28, especially from lane near to Brookheys Farm, but note that this lane is narrow can be busy especially on Saturdays.

Well done with the Little Egret Nick!

I saw little of interest in 2 hours this morning apart from a minimum of 8 Buzzards (6 in the air and 2 perched on a pylon) and a single Raven. Little Egret has long been one of my target species for my recording patch which is the 1km square SJ7390 whose eastern limit is only 300 metres from field 29. Maybe there is still hope for me!

On 30th March I spoke with a local dog-walker whose first words to me were "Have you seen the egrets"?

He is usually a very reliable source and he said that he had seen two egrets a few times on Sinderland Brook in the previous week on both sides of the bridge on the lane leading from Carrington Lane to Brookheys Farm (most frequently on the upstream side). I checked it out on that day but found nothing, but the brook meanders so much in this area that many parts of the brook are not visible from any public vantage point.

I also failed to find any Little Owls in the area so I may have just been having a bad day but no-one (however unobservant) could miss a Little Egret!


-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Thursday 2nd of April 2015 11:52:18 PM

-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Thursday 2nd of April 2015 11:53:40 PM

Whilst out counting the Rook nests this evening;
F28 = 1 Buzzard
F32 = 6 Tree Sparrow, 1 Yellowhammer
F29 = 1 Little Egret (adj Sinderland Brook), 1 Kestrel
F91 = 1 Kestrel
F73 = 1 Buzzard
and in Hogswood Covert a flock of 74 Fieldfare, which at approx 1930 took off north.

Wheatear 1 f12
Fieldfare 20+
Redwing 10+
Mistle Thrush 2
Chiffchaff 1 singing in the orchard.
Cormorant 1...a first for me, with it sitting in waterlogged field 2. It flew off when it saw me, so it was probably just resting from the wind.
Skylark 1
Stock Dove 15+
Yellowhammer 1
Kestrel 2


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 29th of March 2015 10:07:43 PM

pm
First Wheatear of the year for me
Viewed from path along north boundary of f2 into Shell site before Flare Stack....then the downpours!!

Last post should have read -- Song thrush 1 (not 18 . . . Predictive text on moby doing it's thang ! :$)

6.45 to 11. 15am Peregrine on pylon adj. sub-station and still present at 11.15am. am . Also singing Chiffchaff . Elsewhere - Yellowhammer x18 . . ..Song thrush x 18 . Goldfinch x 4 . F25 (carrot field) Brambling x 1f . Linnet x 3 . Lapwing x 2 . Skylark x 12 . Chaffinch x c100. Common buzzard x 2over. Raven x 2 heard. Sinderland Green Wood - Chiffchaff x 1 singing . Nuthatch x 1 .

Walk around Sinderland Green area 7am - 9am.
Highlights:
Kingfisher on Sinderland Brook
Field 25:
Male Wheatear
Mixed flock of 110 Chaffinch, 6 Brambling, ~15 Skylark but unusually only one Linnet.
1 redpoll flying over (first here since January)
Field 65:
5 White Wagtails with at least 10 Pied Wagtails.
Also lots of Fieldfares and Redwings - the latter have been in very low numbers here for the last few weeks.

A first for me: A Little Egret took off from a small pond north of the flare stack at 08:30 this morning. This is on the LyondellBasell site. Pure White, yellow feet, lovely looking bird.

Fieldfare 50+
Redwing 20+
Yellowhammer 2
Kestrel 1m
Buzzard 2
Goldcrest 1
Willow Tit 1
Goldfinch 10+
Reed Bunting 1m

on Field 25:

Chaffinch 100+
Brambling 1
Linnet 30+
Skylark 6+

etc.etc.etc.

3.45 today saw a Raven mobbing a Buzzard opposite the Council depot on Carrington Lane.

Mike

Jeff Clarke wrote:

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Tim Wilcox wrote:
3 Stonechat along the path between f23 and f24 - 2 males and 1 female moving closely together as I cycled past

On my map (which I hope is correct) field 23 and 24 are almost 2 kilometres apart! Field 23 is next to Altrincham sewage works and field 24 is the derelict railway siding close to the now demolished petrochemical tanks. I am more than interested in this record because I haven't seen any Stonechats on the Moss so far this year.

-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Saturday 7th of March 2015 11:23:57 PM

-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Saturday 7th of March 2015 11:24:21 PM

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edited - 24 and 25

PS Jeff f25 is ready as a big magnet for Wheatears in the next couple of weeks

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Sunday 8th of March 2015 12:54:55 AM

This morning I was watching my niece play junior football at the playing fields on Moss Lane in Partington. I sneaked over the road to a flooded field which produced 4 Snipe and a Kestrel. Around the playing fields themselves were a few Mistle Thrush and Redwing, a Buzzard and in the trees a couple of Goldcrest amongst Blue and Great Tits. I did watch the football by the way...

Went to Dunham Massey afterwards, I have posted on that thread too

Update: I just looked on the site map, the Snipe were in the field next to Field 74, where the N of Partington is

-- Edited by Simon Gough on Saturday 7th of March 2015 11:44:47 PM

Tim Wilcox wrote:
3 Stonechat along the path between f23 and f24 - 2 males and 1 female moving closely together as I cycled past

On my map (which I hope is correct) field 23 and 24 are almost 2 kilometres apart! Field 23 is next to Altrincham sewage works and field 24 is the derelict railway siding close to the now demolished petrochemical tanks. I am more than interested in this record because I haven't seen any Stonechats on the Moss so far this year.

-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Saturday 7th of March 2015 11:23:57 PM

-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Saturday 7th of March 2015 11:24:21 PM

3 Stonechat along the path between f24 and f25 - 2 males and 1 female moving closely together as I cycled past. Also 4 Bullfinch - 3 males 1 female along path to Dark Lame and 3 Skylarks singing across the Moss

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Sunday 8th of March 2015 12:40:32 AM

Yesterday 4 Feb 2015 at 1.30 pm

Flock of Yellowhammer (20+) in stubble field left of approach road to MUFC centre.

A walk from Isherwood Rd.
Of interest:
Reed Bunting 6 f12/f13 ditch area
Yellowhammer 4 as above
Linnets c100 f12 near the 1st pylon
Skylark c100 f11 in amongst the winter crop

Yesterday 4th
Linnets c60 f64 between Sinderland Green and Dark Lane, feeding on the bird seed crop. (If you're reading this Jeff, I saw
them after we parted company)

Tony Darby wrote:

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keithridley wrote:

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Hi what will the red tailed hawk be?

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are generally escapees.

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Always escapes on this side of the Atlantic

keithridley wrote:

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Hi what will the red tailed hawk be?

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Red-tailed Hawks, like Harris Hawks, are used by falconers. They're native to the U.S. and any that we see
around Carrington Moss, or anywhere else, are generally escapees.

-- Edited by Tony Darby on Wednesday 28th of January 2015 10:48:24 PM

Hi what will the red tailed hawk be?

Not too much about this afternoon but:

Stonechat 1m 1f along path between f4 and f12/13.
Kestrel 1m
Meadow Pipit 2
Jay 3
Coal Tit 1 singing.
Linnet 6
Reed Bunting 4
Yellowhammer 2
Chaffinch 4

Isherwood rd. to Sinderland green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F4 - Long-tail tit 20. . . . . Redwing 15. . . . Gs Woodpecker 1. . . . Reedbunting 1. . . . Skylark c100 . . . . Orchard - Blackbird 10. . . . Long-tail tit c20. . . . Robin 3. . . . Dunnock 2. . . . Goldcrest 2. . . . F3 - Reedbunting 5. . . . Yellowhammer 5. . . . F25 - Skylark c120. . . . Chaffinch c20. . . . Mistle thrush 5. . . . Fieldfare 12. . . . Linnet 4. . . . Yellowhammer 5 . . . . Reedbunting 5 . . . . Sinderland green wood. - Nuthatch 1. . . . F 26 - Kestrel 1 . . . . F71 - Reedbunting 21. . . . Tree sparrow2. . . . Also 5 buzzard seen from start to finnish.

16.50 - A very obliging Tawny Owl sat on one the steps on a telegraph pole along Dunham Rd this evening. It was completely unbothered by the cars passing just a few feet away. I was able to pull up close by and watched it for about 10mins before it flew off.

A lone Mute Swan in field 46 which is partially flooded at 16.30 this evening.

Sinderland Green area 11am-2pm.
Field 71 fewer birds than a week ago but still moderate numbers of Linnet (40), Chaffinch (20), Reed Bunting (6+) and a few Tree Sparrows, but a male Merlin was my first of the winter.
Field 25 mainly empty apart from a small number of Skylark and Chaffinch, but 10+ Yellowhammer in NW corner and 3 (maybe 4) Buzzard and 1 Raven overhead.
Field 72 although a stubble field which should produce some birds this field was empty apart from 36 Stock Doves.

17 redwing
1 reed bunting
2 stonechat, m & f edge of f8
1 raven
1 bullfinch

f25
18 fieldfare
c50 skylark
c10 pied wagtail

f2
red tailed hawk

info thanks to phil Kelly.

Sinderland Green area 10am to noon. Very icy. Low sun made viewing tricky.
Field 25 carrot harvest in full swing, tracks very muddy yesterday, mainly frozen today. Good numbers of Skylarks 145 counted but many more missed in the deep furrows.
Field 71 finch/bunting numbers well down on the last few days but Tree Sparrow, Linnet (50+), Greenfinch, Chaffinch and 2 Bramblings, Yellowhammer (10+), Reed Bunting (5).


-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Sunday 28th of December 2014 01:03:18 PM

Saw a bird on the carrington site today ( Basell). I think from what I saw that it was a Merlin. I disturbed it as I drove past . It had a dark grey/black back and dark underside. The wings reminded me of a Swift. It stayed low to the ground when it took off and was rapidly pursued by a Crow. I only saw it for a few seconds so couldn't give more info but was a bird of prey of some description. Any info would be great .
It was small, smaller than a Kestrel but with a fairly wide wingspan for its size.

I have just been told of a supposed Hobby on Sinderland Green today (apparently with several observers). This appears to be very unlikely but not actually impossible for this date (the BTO atlas records only 12 winter records for 2007-11), and the date seems too late for any of the possible confusion species (Red-footed Falcon, Amur Falcon or Eleanora's Falcon). I also know that Peregrine and Merlin are both regular here in winter and I guess that this was a mis-identification of one of these, but I would love to be proved wrong in my assumption as this would be a significant record. It would be interesting to get some feedback from any observers of this bird.


-- Edited by Jeff Clarke on Thursday 18th of December 2014 10:53:48 PM

Stonechat 1m 1f...along the path between F4 and F13.
Yellowhammer 1m
Fieldfare 1
Redwing 6+
Starling 100+
Linnet 4
Corvid flock 200+

Today's visit in bright sunshine produced:

2 Goldcrest in separate locations: 2 Yellowhammers together: several parties of Bullfinch: 1 Buzzard: 50+ Redwings with a smattering of Fieldfare.

Altrincham Sewage works contained the usual Teal and Gadwall, with up to ten Moorhens and a single drake Shoveler.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 24th of November 2014 05:57:14 PM

A couple of hours after lunch (approx 1pm - 3pm) around Sinderland Green was really quiet with little to report apart from:
1 Peregrine very vocal and mobbing a buzzard in field 26, then perching on the pylon in the middle of field 26 (a regular site)
1 Chiffchaff heard but not seen on the derelict railway line north of field 24
At least 25 Skylarks in field 11
9 Stock Doves field 24

A Little Owl flew across the road as I was driving through Dunham Woodhouses this evening at 16.40.

pm.
Pink-footed Geese 50+ first low west, then eventually eastwards.
Yellowhammer 10+
Redwing 10+
Goldcrest 2
Song Thrush 3
Reed Bunting 3
Linnet 10+
Meadow Pipit 1
Buzzard 1
and 2 Harris Hawks plus owners.
etc.

2 hours early this morning Sinderland Green to field 25 area.
Not a great deal to report - highlights were:
Tree Sparrows at Sinderland Green
At least 2 Willow Tits field 25
A Sparrowhawk trying to attack a stoat (field 68) was a first for me. I assumed that this a dispute over prey.

1 hour visit this pm around f4

Stonechat - Southern boundary f4

Peregrine, Buzzard 2, Kestrel
Loads of corvids & finches generally.
No Brambling yet.

Cheers

7 - 9 am this morning - mainly around field 25:
14 Whooper Swans flying SE at about 7:30 (new species for me here)
Three skeins of Pink footed Geese (approx counts 120, 120, 25) at about 8 am (all flying East).
Green Sandpiper flying over (another site tick)
1 Raven.
Also Tree Sparrows (probably at least 10), Yellowhammers and Reed Buntings in the hedge between fields 24 and 71.
For the 1 km square SJ7390 (which includes field 25) I have now reached 100 species for the year, and still eight weeks to go to the end of the year!