Single Siskin on my Astley garden today, also a Grey Wagtail over and all the usual commoner garden birds singing away, plus 4 very low Buzzards.
Richard Thew said
Mon Mar 21 9:58 PM, 2022
Yesterday's news!
Male Siskin visiting my Radcliffe garden.
Also nothing else has changed regarding numbers of Goldfinch, Lesser redpoll (upto x3 seen together), Bullfinch (x5) and House sparrows.
Greenfinch has been more abundant lately, perhaps the most I've seen for some year's of around x10 Male Chaffinch been singing regularly. Robin is nesting, different pair than last years, possibly one of last years young?? Dunnocks also nesting, same cheeky ones as last years. Very tame Female Blackbird, likely last years young. A four year old very tame Great tit with his 3 year old missis still visits, the same pair I got feeding from my hand at the start of the pandemic. And at least one of last years coal tit (2 year old) No sign of the Sparrows that were as tame yet, though the Male was an estimated 4 year old last year.
If anybody is wondering about this, I've spent quite a bit of time over lockdown getting to know my garden birds, each bird of same species have a different personality and character. Hence, why this report is so specific and certain asto who is who, or likely who and at what age.
Ta!
fredford said
Mon Mar 21 2:50 PM, 2022
Bury . Last two days . Calling black headed gull , over , for the first time , several lesser redpolls , pair bullfinch . Goldfinch swaying from side to side , presumably displaying , which i have not seen previously, great tits , blue tits , long tailed tits , couple of jackdaws in tree seem to be interested in the feeders . Poor pheasant , mateless , marches up and down , displaying . Collared dove , wood pigeon , feral pigeon .
Neil Ferguson said
Wed Mar 9 7:38 PM, 2022
Highfield Wigan or should I rename it Finchley Central.
So far this week
Siskin x 4 Goldfinches Chaffinches Bullfinches Greenfinches
Willow, Great, Blue, Coal and Longtailed Tits
Nuthatch Dunnock Robin Blackbird Pheasant Reed Bunting Song Thrush
fredford said
Mon Mar 7 10:01 AM, 2022
Bury . Three curlew over , one calling . Pair bullfinch on feeders . Brief visit , on lawn , of a pied wagtail . Many visits to the fatballs , by long tailed tits , in the cold weather .
fredford said
Sat Mar 5 7:26 AM, 2022
Bury . Tawny swooped in and perched on the elm at 0615hrs. Rooks very busy .
Steven Heywood said
Thu Mar 3 11:51 PM, 2022
There's a passage of finches going through our end of Stretford. After only having two siskins in my garden over the past twenty two years I had two flocks of them yesterday morning, nine birds in the first and fifteen in the second. Today I had a flock of nine goldfinches come in on top of the regulars. I'm wondering if there's been a failure in the alder crop in their usual haunts in the Mersey Valley.
pete berry said
Mon Feb 28 12:46 PM, 2022
Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming in trees behind back garden this morning. There's been a male and female doing a bit of courtship chasing around the garden the last few days, so hopefully they'll breed nearby. Still getting up to 20 Goldfinch at a time on the feeders, plenty of Greenfinch still and also regular visits from a couple of Redpoll. The Sparrowhawk took another Woodpigeon a couple of days ago and managed to eat the whole bird without the local Magpies spotting it.
Tony Koziol said
Sun Feb 27 3:55 PM, 2022
Female Blackcap made two very brief visits to our Stockport garden this morning, had we not cancelled our plans for today we would have been non the wiser !
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Feb 25 8:26 PM, 2022
Back up to three redpolls on front garden feeder early p.m.
fredford said
Wed Feb 23 3:03 PM, 2022
Bury . Mistle thrush has returned , in sycamore , giving different versions of his song . Hurrah !
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Feb 22 9:33 PM, 2022
Winter drawing to a close, and it looks like there are to be no surprises or new birds for the garden this time round. The redpolls (1 today, 2 yesterday) have continued to visit occasionally. Other then that, it's just the bullfinch pr, nuthatch pr, long-tailed tits (2-4), greenfinches (2-3), chaffinches (c10), goldfinches (less than previous years), and coal tit that have entertained us in the last few days.
Karen Foulkes said
Tue Feb 22 6:04 PM, 2022
Two drake Goosander flew over the front of the house as I arrived home this evening.
Singles of Song Thrush and Blackbird were singing this morning and the Song Thrush was singing again as I arrived home this evening.
fredford said
Sun Feb 20 1:19 PM, 2022
Bury . Shortly after the thick snow started to fall , a very smart pair of goldfinches visited the sunflower hearts . Not seen them today .
Ian Howarth said
Fri Feb 18 5:45 PM, 2022
The wild wet westerly wintry wind has not stopped the male and female Blackcap from visiting my Timperley garden today.
pete berry said
Wed Feb 16 2:20 PM, 2022
Another busy morning on the feeders with almost non stop Goldfinch coming in to feed. Also still good numbers of Greenfinch and presumably the same two Redpoll coming in to feed. A Great Spotted Woodpecker (female)again making several visits both to the fat block and sunflower hearts. A couple of Buzzards low over this morning and the usual assortment of Blue,Great,Coal and Long Tailed Tits visiting regularly.
Around 09.30 this morning a Juvenile Sparrowhawk tried to take a Blackbird in our Stockport garden, it did fail but watching it fly through the Hawthorn hedge in pursuit was fabulous as was the Blackbirds calculated escape.
Our neighbour in her wisdom has reduced the hedge thickness to just 12/18 inches in places which means the sanctuary the hedge once offered has been halved which now makes it easier for the Hawk to pursue its prey.
Tony Koziol said
Sun Feb 13 7:39 PM, 2022
On a very miserable day a very very rare visitor to our Stockport garden was a delightful Goldcrest.
pete berry said
Sun Feb 13 11:08 AM, 2022
Best ever count of Goldfinch and Greenfinch in the garden this morning with 36 Goldfinch and 14 Greenfinch either on the feeders or queuing up in the trees to get their turn. This is the biggest number of Greenfinch I've had in the garden since their numbers crashed a few years ago. Also 2 regular Redpoll visiting the feeders,the pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers making daily visits,3 Pheasants this morning a male and 2 females.
Richard Thew said
Sat Feb 12 3:11 PM, 2022
Wehay! I lave at least 2 Lesser Redpoll (poss x3) in my Radcliffe garden. Things have gotten at least 50% busier.
The House sparrows have been chirpy this week, been lovely to hear them in the shrubs, so I've been doing something right
Ta!
Peter Nolan Woolley said
Fri Feb 11 11:35 AM, 2022
Raven this am@11:31 heading South over our Openshaw garden.
Update on the racing pigeon - I managed to read the ring - D10432 and it is registered to Mr Kenyon according to the RPRA. I've let him know, but no sign of it since.
Tony Coatsworth said
Wed Feb 9 1:43 PM, 2022
Just had a smart-looking Feral Pigeon in the garden with two rings - pink left and blue right. Looks well-fed. Presumably a lost racing pigeon?
Albert Zijlstra said
Sun Feb 6 10:11 PM, 2022
First two siskins of the year in our Marple garden.
pete berry said
Sun Feb 6 3:25 PM, 2022
What must be a large female Sparrowhawk has just taken a Wood Pigeon in my back garden and is busy plucking and eating it. Should keep it fed for a couple of days at least.
2x Mistle thrush east over Old Trafford/Firswood garden just now
Richard Thew said
Tue Feb 1 3:18 PM, 2022
Slightly late report:
Big garden birdwatch produced:
Bullfinch x4 Chaffinch x1 (f) Greenfinch x4 Goldfinch x15 House sparrow x12 Great tit x2 Blue tit x2 Coal tit x2 Long tailed tit x2 Blackbird x2 Dunnock x2 (possibly 3) Robin x2 Woodpigeon x1
I'm gutted that I've had no Redpolls at all this winter, only upto three were seen in November, then nothing! This is especially surprising since last winter I had a bumper year with a max count of 14!
The Goldfinches have declined too, the x14 noted above was a fluke turn up, as they have been averaging around x6
Still, I cannot complain that I've had my first garden Brambling, likely the same one now at the Elton feeders.
Ta!
Gordon Newman said
Tue Feb 1 10:33 AM, 2022
Single Raven heading North halfway between Pennington Flash and Bickershaw Country Park @10. 15
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Jan 30 8:39 PM, 2022
Late morning, 3 redpoll in back garden. First for ages; right day, wrong time. They missed the Garden Bird count (naturally), and so did quite a lot of others: only 9 species seen which was my lowest in living memory.
Peter Nolan Woolley said
Sun Jan 30 2:17 PM, 2022
Grey Wagtail, in my Openshaw back garden this afternoon
A pair of Raven went over my house at not much higher than roof height 1st thing Thursday morning at 7.30am. Heading towards Hill top. This morning I came down to find a hen Pheasant in my garden in Bredbury, no idea where it has come from.
Lez Fairclough said
Fri Jan 28 7:05 PM, 2022
Looked out of the bedroom window this morning & was shocked to see a Grey Heron on the neighbours roof with its crest displaying in the breeze.
Single Raven low purposefully SE over my Astley garden at 09:15 this morning.
pete berry said
Tue Jan 25 9:53 AM, 2022
Plenty of activity in the garden today with at least 10 Blackbirds, 5 Wood Pigeon and a Pheasant feeding on the bread/suet/raisin mix. On the feeders a male Bullfinch,2 Redpoll,an almost constant stream of Goldfinch plus the usual Blue,Great,Coal and Long Tailed Tits,but worryingly not a single sighting of any Willow Tit all winter,the first winter I've not had regular visits from them. A male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding on the fatballs and doing what appeared to be a bit of courtship display around the garden. Still reasonable numbers of Redwing and Starling in the horse paddock behind the house and a Grey Heron flyover.
CALLUM VERNON said
Mon Jan 24 10:56 PM, 2022
A Male bullfinch has started making daily regular appearances over the last week in Walkden garden, and today he brought 2 mates along, a Male and Female.
Also with the bullfinches were 2 Greenfinches.
Great spotted woodpecker visiting every other day, however the Willow Tit has not been back for a few weeks.
steven burke said
Thu Jan 20 9:51 AM, 2022
A female bullfinch was in my old Trafford garden this morning, not seen one for over 18 months in my garden. No signs of any blackcaps since Dec 30th. 6 ring necked parakeets flew over.
3 cormorants over heading towards Salford quays.
-- Edited by steven burke on Thursday 20th of January 2022 09:52:52 AM
Ian McKerchar said
Tue Jan 18 9:39 PM, 2022
Female Pheasant in my Astley garden again this morning.
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Jan 18 9:21 PM, 2022
Was lucky enough to be able to watch this superb sparrowhawk deal with a pigeon pest just beyond my dining room window this afternoon. Hope it makes a few return visits!
A party of c20 Long-tailed Tit on the feeders this afternoon.
Also two Coal Tit and five Greenfinch
Samglennie said
Sun Jan 16 10:42 PM, 2022
Late post for yesterday in old trafford garden:
The usuals with blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits, goldfinches, house sparrows, blackbirds, 2x collared doves, 2x robin, dunnock, 3x goldcrests, 1x wren. Also the male Greenfinch from the previous day made an appearance and came to feeders with goldfinches for 10 mins, a male Chaffinch accompanied the usual female and a male Sparrowhawk sat in apple tree for 5+ mins!
A Robin has been singing most of the evening from my neighbours garden and still at it now - 10.35pm!
Samglennie said
Fri Jan 14 8:33 PM, 2022
Lots of activity at feeders in Old trafford garden today: Blue, Coal, Great and LT tits, Goldfinches, Blackbirds, Dunnocks, 3x Collared Doves, 15x House sparrows and 1x Greenfinch (1st seen in garden for 6+ months!)
Andy Bissitt said
Fri Jan 14 8:11 PM, 2022
After a frustrating week, am now fully fitted with transparent windows again! Reward came within 30 minutes when what has to be last Winter's Stock Dove was spotted feeding just by the front door. Something to liven up this poor Winter for garden birds.
Peter Nolan Woolley said
Fri Jan 14 8:29 AM, 2022
4 Whooper Swan, over my Openshaw garden this morning at 08:26,headind North West
Albert Zijlstra said
Thu Jan 13 10:42 PM, 2022
some 10 redpoll in our Marple garden, plus about 12 goldfinches, a bullfinch, 2 chaffinches, a songthrush, 6 socially distanced and squabbling blackbirds, collared doves and jackdaws. But no redwings this year, or siskins, and few magpies
pete berry said
Tue Jan 11 9:51 AM, 2022
Just popped out to fill feeders and was treated to a flock of 150+ Redwings circling over the garden which then settled in the trees at bottom of the garden.
-- Edited by pete berry on Tuesday 11th of January 2022 10:19:18 AM
Additions to my sightings for week ending Sunday 09.01.22 in and on the street of my ( minute) Stretford front garden .
Several visits from - Dunnock. Blackbird. Robin. Wood pigeon. Pied Wagtail (street).
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Jan 9 8:48 PM, 2022
An unlikely trio seen from my bedroom window this morning, all in the space of c10 minutes. First a carrion crow was in my alder tree, which is a rarity. Seconds later, a grey heron came into view from behind the houses ar the bottom of the garden. It was so low, it had to gain height to pass over next doors roof. Soon after, a sparrowhawk flew right over the garden, half way down, below eye level. I'm having to make do with any views at the moment as I had a new window fitted at the front of the house on Friday, and the contractor installed opaque glass by mistake!!!!! I cannot therefore see my best feeders ! It can only happen to me.
Looked out of the front window at lunch time & was shocked to see this guy wandering in the street........
Single Siskin on my Astley garden today, also a Grey Wagtail over and all the usual commoner garden birds singing away, plus 4 very low Buzzards.
Male Siskin visiting my Radcliffe garden.
Also nothing else has changed regarding numbers of Goldfinch, Lesser redpoll (upto x3 seen together), Bullfinch (x5) and House sparrows.
Greenfinch has been more abundant lately, perhaps the most I've seen for some year's of around x10
Male Chaffinch been singing regularly.
Robin is nesting, different pair than last years, possibly one of last years young??
Dunnocks also nesting, same cheeky ones as last years.
Very tame Female Blackbird, likely last years young.
A four year old very tame Great tit with his 3 year old missis still visits, the same pair I got feeding from my hand at the start of the pandemic. And at least one of last years coal tit (2 year old) No sign of the Sparrows that were as tame yet, though the Male was an estimated 4 year old last year.
If anybody is wondering about this, I've spent quite a bit of time over lockdown getting to know my garden birds, each bird of same species have a different personality and character. Hence, why this report is so specific and certain asto who is who, or likely who and at what age.
Ta!
Highfield Wigan or should I rename it Finchley Central.
So far this week
Siskin x 4
Goldfinches
Chaffinches
Bullfinches
Greenfinches
Willow, Great, Blue, Coal and Longtailed Tits
Nuthatch
Dunnock
Robin
Blackbird
Pheasant
Reed Bunting
Song Thrush
There's a passage of finches going through our end of Stretford. After only having two siskins in my garden over the past twenty two years I had two flocks of them yesterday morning, nine birds in the first and fifteen in the second. Today I had a flock of nine goldfinches come in on top of the regulars. I'm wondering if there's been a failure in the alder crop in their usual haunts in the Mersey Valley.
Still getting up to 20 Goldfinch at a time on the feeders, plenty of Greenfinch still and also regular visits from a couple of Redpoll.
The Sparrowhawk took another Woodpigeon a couple of days ago and managed to eat the whole bird without the local Magpies spotting it.
Female Blackcap made two very brief visits to our Stockport garden this morning, had we not cancelled our plans for today we would have been non the wiser !
Back up to three redpolls on front garden feeder early p.m.
Winter drawing to a close, and it looks like there are to be no surprises or new birds for the garden this time round. The redpolls (1 today, 2 yesterday) have continued to visit occasionally. Other then that, it's just the bullfinch pr, nuthatch pr, long-tailed tits (2-4), greenfinches (2-3), chaffinches (c10), goldfinches (less than previous years), and coal tit that have entertained us in the last few days.
Singles of Song Thrush and Blackbird were singing this morning and the Song Thrush was singing again as I arrived home this evening.
A Great Spotted Woodpecker (female)again making several visits both to the fat block and sunflower hearts.
A couple of Buzzards low over this morning and the usual assortment of Blue,Great,Coal and Long Tailed Tits visiting regularly.
Around 09.30 this morning a Juvenile Sparrowhawk tried to take a Blackbird in our Stockport garden, it did fail but watching it fly through the Hawthorn hedge in pursuit was fabulous as was the Blackbirds calculated escape.
Our neighbour in her wisdom has reduced the hedge thickness to just 12/18 inches in places which means the sanctuary the hedge once offered has been halved which now makes it easier for the Hawk to pursue its prey.
On a very miserable day a very very rare visitor to our Stockport garden was a delightful Goldcrest.
Best ever count of Goldfinch and Greenfinch in the garden this morning with 36 Goldfinch and 14 Greenfinch either on the feeders or queuing up in the trees to get their turn. This is the biggest number of Greenfinch I've had in the garden since their numbers crashed a few years ago.
Also 2 regular Redpoll visiting the feeders,the pair of Great Spotted Woodpeckers making daily visits,3 Pheasants this morning a male and 2 females.
The House sparrows have been chirpy this week, been lovely to hear them in the shrubs, so I've been doing something right
Ta!
Raven this am@11:31 heading South over our Openshaw garden.
Update on the racing pigeon - I managed to read the ring - D10432 and it is registered to Mr Kenyon according to the RPRA. I've let him know, but no sign of it since.
Big garden birdwatch produced:
Bullfinch x4
Chaffinch x1 (f)
Greenfinch x4
Goldfinch x15
House sparrow x12
Great tit x2
Blue tit x2
Coal tit x2
Long tailed tit x2
Blackbird x2
Dunnock x2 (possibly 3)
Robin x2
Woodpigeon x1
I'm gutted that I've had no Redpolls at all this winter, only upto three were seen in November, then nothing! This is especially surprising since last winter I had a bumper year with a max count of 14!
The Goldfinches have declined too, the x14 noted above was a fluke turn up, as they have been averaging around x6
Still, I cannot complain that I've had my first garden Brambling, likely the same one now at the Elton feeders.
Ta!
Late morning, 3 redpoll in back garden. First for ages; right day, wrong time. They missed the Garden Bird count (naturally), and so did quite a lot of others: only 9 species seen which was my lowest in living memory.
Grey Wagtail, in my Openshaw back garden this afternoon
Looked out of the bedroom window this morning & was shocked to see a Grey Heron on the neighbours roof with its crest displaying in the breeze.
Single Raven low purposefully SE over my Astley garden at 09:15 this morning.
On the feeders a male Bullfinch,2 Redpoll,an almost constant stream of Goldfinch plus the usual Blue,Great,Coal and Long Tailed Tits,but worryingly not a single sighting of any Willow Tit all winter,the first winter I've not had regular visits from them.
A male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding on the fatballs and doing what appeared to be a bit of courtship display around the garden.
Still reasonable numbers of Redwing and Starling in the horse paddock behind the house and a Grey Heron flyover.
A Male bullfinch has started making daily regular appearances over the last week in Walkden garden, and today he brought 2 mates along, a Male and Female.
Also with the bullfinches were 2 Greenfinches.
Great spotted woodpecker visiting every other day, however the Willow Tit has not been back for a few weeks.
No signs of any blackcaps since Dec 30th.
6 ring necked parakeets flew over. 3 cormorants over heading towards Salford quays.
-- Edited by steven burke on Thursday 20th of January 2022 09:52:52 AM
Female Pheasant in my Astley garden again this morning.
Was lucky enough to be able to watch this superb sparrowhawk deal with a pigeon pest just beyond my dining room window this afternoon. Hope it makes a few return visits!
Also two Coal Tit and five Greenfinch
Late post for yesterday in old trafford garden:
The usuals with blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits, goldfinches, house sparrows, blackbirds, 2x collared doves, 2x robin, dunnock, 3x goldcrests, 1x wren. Also the male Greenfinch from the previous day made an appearance and came to feeders with goldfinches for 10 mins, a male Chaffinch accompanied the usual female and a male Sparrowhawk sat in apple tree for 5+ mins!
After a frustrating week, am now fully fitted with transparent windows again! Reward came within 30 minutes when what has to be last Winter's Stock Dove was spotted feeding just by the front door. Something to liven up this poor Winter for garden birds.
-- Edited by pete berry on Tuesday 11th of January 2022 10:19:18 AM
Several visits from -
Dunnock.
Blackbird.
Robin.
Wood pigeon.
Pied Wagtail (street).
An unlikely trio seen from my bedroom window this morning, all in the space of c10 minutes. First a carrion crow was in my alder tree, which is a rarity. Seconds later, a grey heron came into view from behind the houses ar the bottom of the garden. It was so low, it had to gain height to pass over next doors roof. Soon after, a sparrowhawk flew right over the garden, half way down, below eye level. I'm having to make do with any views at the moment as I had a new window fitted at the front of the house on Friday, and the contractor installed opaque glass by mistake!!!!! I cannot therefore see my best feeders ! It can only happen to me.