18.30-20.30 Overcast and quite cold.

Kenworthy Fields:

Buzzard flying backwards and forwards, finally attacked by a Kestrel
1 Swift
2 Long-Tailed Tit

River Mersey:

4 Swallows

Barlow Tip:

2 Blackcap

Plenty of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaff generally, also several Greenfinch on both sides of bridge









4

Common Sandpiper balancing on a log on the western island.

River Mersey very high now

1 Common Whitethroat on Barlow Tip this morning

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Saturday 28th of April 2012 09:46:35 AM

Quick visit 6.30pm-7.00pm in the rain:

1 Common Sandpiper (on the River Mersey between bridge over to Kenworthy and the Sub-station)

Just 1 Swallow over the lake.

Wet walk 19.30-20.25

3 Bullfinch 2 m 1 f
2 Greenfinch
1 Chaffinch
1 Buzzard which took off just above my head
1 Jay
4 Swallows over lake when rain stopped

Common Whitethroat in Brambles by electricity sub-station the highlight of a quick walk this evening.

-- Edited by Phil Owen on Sunday 22nd of April 2012 09:47:37 PM

1.00pm in the showers:

6 Swallows (over lake)
1 House Martin (over lake)
2 Reed Buntings (Barlow Tip)
Good numbers of Willow Warblers, Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs.

19.00-20.00 Kenworthy Fields and lake

3 Great Crested Grebes
1 Jay
Several swallows over lake, no martins though
1 Blackcap
Lots of singing Chiffchaff, strangely no Willow Warbler heard, normally they're prolific by this date.

Note to birders: Advise against anyone parking at the Kenworthy Fields barrier, angry dog walker there tonight found his car window broken and judging from volume of glass around it's not an isolated occurrence.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Sunday 22nd of April 2012 09:00:53 PM

A very wet morning

1 female Goosander on the Mersey
2 Swallow
Then a heavy shower brought down 6 Sand Martin and 2 House Martin

Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap all singing away
no Whitethroats yet

Cheers Tim.

I've had some decent luck with Owls to be honest, self-finding three of the main five in the Manchester Borough itself and four out of County.

Long-eared still remains to be self-found on both accounts however (unless we count "finding one" at Marton Mere)

Certainly up there with the best on my Borough List although I might be tempted to swap it for your Long-tailed Duck on Loonts Lake, Northenden which was also a great find

See you around!

Cheers

Phil





-- Edited by Phil Owen on Saturday 21st of April 2012 10:48:11 PM

7.45am-8.45am:

1 Short-eared Owl (initially on a small tree on Barlow Tip, the bird then circled giving great views before a Carrion Crow mobbed it and it was lost to view, heading over the lake in the direction of Chorlton cum-Hardy Golf Course.

Also present:

1 Reed Bunting (m)
2 Swallows
2 Great-Crested Grebes
1 Mute Swan
1 Willow Warbler
2 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
amongst others

Phil Owen wrote:

---

7.45am-8.45am:

1 Short-eared Owl (initially on a small tree on Barlow Tip, the bird then circled giving great views before a Carrion Crow mobbed it and it was lost to view, heading over the lake in the direction of Chorlton cum-Hardy Golf Course.

Also present:

1 Reed Bunting (m)
2 Swallows
2 Great-Crested Grebes
1 Mute Swan
1 Willow Warbler
2 Blackcaps
2 Chiffchaffs
amongst others

---

Superb find Phil Straight to No.1 on your Manchester Borough list? One was at Kenworthy 12 Oct 2004 and the following day found dead on Barlow Tip of a broken neck - probably found by Pete Hines

-- Edited by Tim Wilcox on Saturday 21st of April 2012 09:56:47 PM

Short-eared Owl on Barlow Tip this morning, chased by a Crow over towards the lake and golf course.

Info thanks to Phil Owen.

tony after reading your post whilst at chorlton ees i came over to barlow tip and whilst riding along the river at the side off barlow tip i could hear the whitethroat singing,so thought my look was in, got to where i heard it and could you believe it no signs stopped singing & not showing, little blighters are eluding me. ah well,i will get one at the weekend

whilst stood on barlow tip...
6 song thrushes
1 willow warbler
wrens, robins & blackbirds all singing

My second Whitethroat of the day, this one found on Barlow Tip this PM.
There were large numbers of Whitethroat around the Mersey Valley area last
year, let's hope this is repeated this Summer.

Tony

last call here before heading back,between 4-6.30pm

main lake...

5 swallows
2 goosanders, males
3 tufted ducks 2m 1f
4 great crested grebes,1 grebe had a small roach (huge to the grebe) it took a few minutes before swallowing it whole
5 blackcaps, 1 male was singing really impressively whilst 2 females were close by (i hope he did well)
3 chiffchaffs
2 willow warblers

barlow tip...

1 buzzard
6 bullfinches,3m 3f
4 jays
1 willow warbler
3 chiffchaffs
2 reed buntings

kenworthy woods...

2 blackcaps
2 willow warblers
4 chiffchaffs
3 bullfinches,1m 2f
1 collared dove

no signs off any other migrants,for me yet !

Tim Wilcox wrote:

---

Myself and Tony Darby were there pm too Must've just missed you Phil. we heard both Willow Warblers and got the one on the southside in a tree right above us. My first of the year

---

Just a quick lap of the lake yesterday Tim but no doubt we'll bump into each other soon.

Cheers

Phil

Myself and Tony Darby were there pm too Must've just missed you Phil. we heard both Willow Warblers and got the one on the southside in a tree right above us. My first of the year

2 Willow Warblers on opposite sides of the lake during a quick visit this afternoon with the dog.

Highlights from a dawn visit and a very quiet (for a Sunday afternoon) visit:
3 male Blackcaps downstream of the Bailey bridge on the Kenworthy side
1 Willow Warbler
1 Ring necked Parakeet on Barlow Tip
1 Kingfisher on the Mersey (and a Mink)
1 Grey Wagtail
2 Buzzards
2 Goosander
4 GC Grebe (2 displaying)
Good to see plenty of Greenfinch around numbers appear to be recovering.
plus the usual. Still no sign yet of the Tree Pipits passing through. Also 1 probable Weasel on the tip. Shot across path so quickly I missed colour of its tail. 4 Noctules & 3 Pipistrelle from the Bailey Bridge yesterday at dusk.

Walk yesterday saw the following

Chaffinch
Greenfinch
1 Pochard
6 Tufted ducks
8 Goosander
Song thrush
Heron
1 Blackcap m
Jay
Nuthatch
1 Willow tit
Reed buntings
Collard doves
plus Blue,Great and Long tailed tits a plenty

One male Goosander still on the lake tonight.

Total of 24 species recorded

Kenworthy Woods

2 Buzzards - about the best view I've had of the species, both were hunting low.

Lake

1 Mandarin (male) - what a little cracker
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

River Mersey

1 female Goosander

It's not unusually early Paul, but certainly one of the first in the county this year. Their average arrival day for us is 10th April but the earliest ever were 16th March!

House martin over the Metropolitan in W Didsbury 13:50 today, heading NW (a beeline for Chorlton WP). Be interested to know if it turns up there! It's the earliest I've ever seen one, is it an unusually early local sighting?

this evening...

main lake...

1 pair mandarins,near to ramp on the north side.
10 tufted ducks
1 goosander (male)
6 great crested grebes

barlow tip...

1 great spotted woodpecker,on the ground hammering the bottom off a birch tree
6 bullfinches
4 song thrushes
2 chiffchaffs
1 pheasant

river mersey...

2 goosanders 1m 1f
1 pied wagtail

plus usual birds around.



-- Edited by steven burke on Saturday 31st of March 2012 10:25:20 PM

6.15pm-7.15pm with the dog:

6 Great-Crested Grebes (3 individual pairs displaying on the lake)
3 Goosanders (2 on Lake, 1 on River Mersey)
1 Mute Swan
2 Reed Buntings (Barlow Tip)
1 Pheasant (f) (Barlow Tip)
2 Chiffchaffs (Barlow Tip)

Kenworthy Wood
1 Chiffchaff
1 Reed Bunting (m)

amongst others

25th march, hardy farm..

no signs off wheatears
2 great spotted woodpeckers (mating)
1 reed bunting
2 jays
3 grey herons (over)

info thanks to phil kelly.

Quick walk round with my son.

4 Great Crested Grebe
2 Tufted Duck
4 Goosander - 2 on river
2 Greenfinch
1 Bullfinch
Loads of Canada Geese, Mallard, Moorhen and Coot and mixed Tits.

Kenworthy Woods

c 4pm

1 Chiffchaff - first of the year. Watched and listened to it for a while, but unfortunately, the experience was marred by the beefy-looking middle-aged skinhead who was roaring around the woods on a small motorbike.

Also an adolescent on a motorised bike on the trail.

Hardy Farm

Had a quick look for the Wheatears on ploughed ground - no joy, but 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker heard drumming.

Main lake / Barlow Tip

3 Goosander (red-heads)
1 Greenfinch
At least 3 Chiffchaffs heard

-- Edited by Ollie Wright on Sunday 25th of March 2012 07:37:01 PM

-- Edited by Ollie Wright on Sunday 25th of March 2012 11:00:37 PM

2 males with Tony O'Mahony and many thanks to Tony for calling me and fetching me back from Chorlton WP. Duly added to my Manchester Borough list

Male Wheatear at Hardy Farm, Chorlton at 5:30pm today, on the ploughed up section.

Info thanks to Tony O'Mahony

8 Goosanders
Buzzard overhead

First Chiffchaff of the year on Barlow Tip

Dunnocks very vocal

Also a yellow butterfly - Brimstone ?

Distinctly Spring like today - Hawthorn coming into leaf and a few Bumble Bees around.

8 Goosander
6 Tufted Duck

Meadow Pipit - Barlow Tip
Reed Bunting singing here also

I saw a Great Tit doing a wing-shimmer sort of display

3.15-4.50pm this afternoon

Main lake:

13 goosander including 5 plumaged males (5 birds left at 4.25)
4 tufted duck - 3 males and a single female
A single male pochard
2 great crested grebe
3 moorhen
2 mute swan
And a grey heron was hunting by the small nature pond.

Barlow tip

Song thrush
Female sparrowhawk
4 Jay
At least 6 bullfinch
C.25 redwing
Male Chaffinch
Male Reed bunting
A pair of buzzards glided over low, presumably looking for a place to roost.

The river Mersey

Cormorant
Pied wagtail
20 Canada geese
A mixed flock of Siskin and Redpoll numbering 15 birds

Plus one birder in a cream hat


-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Friday 9th of March 2012 04:48:39 PM

-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Friday 9th of March 2012 05:17:57 PM

This pm
Good numbers of Goosander on the lake this afternoon; 26 in all, roughly
equal numbers of male and female. All the usuals plus a lone male Wigeon
and a Meadow Pipit feeding on scraps 10ft away from me next to the South
bank slipway. This Robin-like behaviour made me wonder how much some
birds can adapt to the presence of humans; CWP can be a very busy place.
Also 3 Bullfinch and a singing Reed Bunting on the Tip.
Tony.

4.30-6.15pm

on & around lake...

1 kingfisher, around south east island.
1 buzzard
2 great spotted woodpeckers
10 goosanders
32 pochards
1 wigeon
16 tufted ducks
2 goldeneyes
2 great crested grebes
1 grey heron
2 mute swans
plus all usual birds around.

barlow tip...

1 woodcock giving me the best view i have ever had,on the ground in a little open patch off grass/mud at 5.55pm
then another 2 in flight 5 mins later,plus 2 snipe.

also nice to meet graham smith & his wife

-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 26th of February 2012 10:05:54 PM

28 Pochard
11 Goosander
1 Wigeon
2 Goldeneye
18 Tufted duck
3 Great crested grebe
2 Heron
1 Cormorant
2 Jays
Barlow tip

10 Red wing
4 Song thrush
1 Buzzard
1 Bullfinch m

Mersey

1 Grey wagtail
2 Great spotted woodpeckers


Feeders

2 Reed bunting
plus flocks of blue tits great tits and long tail tits
blackbirds,robins,goldfinch,chaffinch

nice afternoon walk and nice to meet Steve Burke

-- Edited by Graham Smith on Sunday 26th of February 2012 10:01:06 PM

4.30pm
Pochard 26
Goosander 5
Goldeneye 4
Kingfisher 1

Stroll round this PM 13:00 - 14:00...
Highlights:
42 pochard
35 tufted duck
M +F goldeneye, flew off about 13:20
8m and 4 f goosanders
great crested grebe
3 mute swans
2 grey herons
Large mixed flock ( 80+ birds),consisting of mainly goldfinch,with a few siskin and lesser redpoll.
Greater spotted woodpecker over car park.

Cheers Chris

2.15pm-3.15pm walk round with dog. A bit quieter today with the wind keeping a lot of the birds down:

Barlow Tip:

1 Woodcock
1 Common Snipe
1 Bullfinch (M)
1 Goldcrest
2 Fieldfares

Lake (20% Frozen):

4 Goosanders (1 Drake was completely stuck in the remaining Ice but thankfully managed to free itself)
3 Great Crested Grebes
2 Mute Swans
amongst the Pochard, Tufted Ducks etc

Usual Siskin and Lesser Redpoll flock.

Wet walk today nice to see RSPB there

1 Kingfisher flew from trees by dipping pond and skimmed the ice
4 Redwings on golf course
2 Willow tits near dipping pond
4 Goldeneye
40+ Pochard
3 Great crested grebes
5 Goosander
plenty of black headed gulls
3 Lesser black backed gulls

plus chaffinch,goldfinch,blackbirds ,robins and various flocks of tits

11/02/2012 - around 16.00

Lake:

11 Goosander
8 Goldeneye
1 Great Crested Grebe
20+ Tufted Duck
40+ Pochard (most were clustered around the island so maybe more)

Barlow Tip:

1 Kestrel

Kenworthy Fields:

1 Buzzard
7 Long-Tailed Tit

River Mersey:

1 Little Grebe

11/02/2012 - 10.00-11.15am around the lake and Barlow Tip with Phil Owen:

1 Great Crested Grebe - in breeding plumage already
1 Mandarin - drake
c60 Pochards
5 Tufted Ducks
6 Goldeneyes
7 Goosanders
1 Sparrowhawk
2 Woodcocks - Barlow Tip
1 Common Snipe - Barlow Tip
2 Herring Gulls - ads on the lake briefly
1 Grey Wagtail - by the Mersey
10+ Redwings
2+ Redpoll sp
30+ Siskins
3 Bullfinches
1 Reed Bunting

-- Edited by Henry Cook on Saturday 11th of February 2012 11:59:37 AM

Thanks Ian.

Almost definitely a mink Judith. They've been breeding close to the water park for at least the past 5 years however there's also plenty of Weasels on the former tip and at least 1 pair of Stoats around Kenworthy. Foxes are also regularly seen strolling about on the ice on the lookout for an easy meal. They've been very vocal at dusk during the past week.

Yesterday morning I saw the usuals, including the mandarins. I also saw what I assume was a mink running round the edge of the water
I suppose this isn't good news for the breeding birds

Couldn't find the Mandarins this afternoon (third time I've looked)

Kenworthy Woods

2 male Bullfinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker

Mersey

Pair Goosander

Chorlton WP

Common Gull
Lesser Black-Backed Gull
Goosander (m)
4 Greenfinches

1 Mandarin tucked away on the western island early this afternoon
Also on the lake:

Canada Goose
Great Crested Grebe
Tufted Duck
Pochard
Coot
Goosander
Mute Swan
Black-headed Gull
Mallard
Moorhen
Sparrowhawk flying over

and at the feeding station:

Collared dove
Reed Buntiung
Dunnock
Chaffinch

Mandarin pair still showing well on the edge of the ice this morning, also 20-30 redwing near childrens' play area, 15 goosander moving between river and lake.