20.02.11

Jackdaws at Claude Road, Chorlton cum Hardy between Brookburn Road and North Meade. 1124+, lots flew over from different directions and didn't land. All left at 5.08pm.

Info thanks to Phil Kelly

My last post refered to 'lots of Jackdaws over at dusk'. From early Dec 2010 I have noticed a steady movement of Jackdaws over Chorlton (and recently Withington) starting about an hour before dusk, all heading in the same direction. The birds are congregating in tall trees along Darley Avenue / Hardy Lane and Chorltonville and then clustering in a pre-roost gathering in the tall trees at the pumping station at the end of Brookburn Rd. 1100 - 1200 birds were there this evening before all departing en-mass over Chorlton Ees in the direction of Stretford (Cemetary ?) by 17.15. I suspect I missed hundreds more which had passed over the Ees earlier. Now to find the roost.

1 Buzzard
1 Meadow Pipit Hardy Farm
15 Greenfich Hardy Lane

I have just received some late news of a Short-eared Owl at the cow field on 6th December.

Info e-mailed to MV Info wardens from David Holman. (I assume this is A David Holman rather than THE David Holman !)

An emaciated immature Grey Heron was picked up in the car park today, taken to Chorlton WP and collected by the RSPCA.

Lots of Jackdaws over at dusk today. Nothing at the cow field on a quick visit at dusk.

Large reedbed/scrub area north of river mersey:
1 Grasshopper Warbler - showed really well after tracking its reeling for a good 15 mins
5+ Reed Warbler
2 Sedge Warbler
1 Pied Wagtail

Also, amazing sight on the River Mersey near Chorlton Ees - a 40 strong party of Canada Geese, made up of 5 adults anf 35 goslings.

Thanks Ian.

Ollie, this will undoubtably be a young Grey Wagtail. Check out the photos on the Manchester Birding galleries for images of juveniles of both species. It would be very early indeed for juveniles of Yellow Wagtail and in a most unusual habitat for them whereas the time/habitat (not to mention description) fit that for Grey Wagtail.

Hi Luke,

I was fortunate enough to see the bird sitting still on a rock in bright sunshine for about five minutes. I initially assumed that it must be a juvenile grey wag, but had a field guide with me and was able to identify it as a juvenile yellow.

Key identifying features were firstly, the black ring of 'spots' at the top of the breast and also (I could be wrong here) the fact that it didn't actually wag its tail that much. I live in a flat which overlooks the flat roof of a pub and a grey wag winters there. This has afforded me with fantastic close range views - and what I have noticed about the bird is that its tail very rarely stops wagging. The bird I saw on the banks of the Mersey did wag its tail, but only a couple of times in the five minutes I spent watching it.

I briefly saw another bird flitting in and out of the shady bank close to the juvenile, but it quickly flew away, leaving the youngster sitting on its own. I wasn't able to get the bins on that bird, but from a very brief view, I believe it was a female yellow wagtail. It certainly didn't look like a grey.

I've googled pictures of juvenile yellows and greys and they seem to look quite different.

I might have it all wrong - I hope others see the same birds and can confirm and deny!

Best,

Ollie



-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Tuesday 25th of May 2010 05:13:54 PM

I've definately had juvenile Grey Wag on that stretch of the mersey, last Wednesday being fed by an adult, could be another of that brood??

Am I right in thinking the two look similar when they are fledglings?

Am convinced I saw a juvenile yellow wagtail on banks of Mersey, yesterday. Close to where the reed bed is.

At least 4 Reed Warblers in reedbed
1 Sedge Warbler
Lots of Whitethroat
Swifts, Swallows and 2 House Martins over River
Male Grey Wagtail feeeding 1 youngster on rockiest part of River (mouth of Chorlton Brook)

8.00 - 12.00

Large field (surrounding reedbed) full of warblers including:
At least 4 sedge warblers (one just across the river), being particularly showy today
1 Gropper - farly elusive
2+ Reed Warbler - reedbed
1 Lesser Whitethroat - reedbed
Lots of Common Whitethroat

Also...

2 Mute Swan over river
4+ Sand Martin
2 House Martin
Several swallows & swifts
2 Shoveler - flew upstream along mersey
2 Pheasant

1 Gropper
1 Sedge Warbler
at least 2 Reed Warbler
Herons putting on a good show

Gropper 1 reeling at field to n or river

07.00-09.45

3 Grasshopper Warbler, 2 reeling, 1 calling, all showed well
2 Sedge Warbler singing
3 Reed Warbler singing
2 Lesser Whitethroat singing at Hardy Farm. 1 at the orchard & 1 at the old scramble track
17 Common Whitethroat (2 females)
1 Goldcrest in song at the heronry (& 1 in song in my garden)
2 pair Reed Bunting
6 Bullfinch
34+ Swift
12+ House Martin
Sand Martin
Swallow
4 Tufted Duck
several well grown soggy young Herons

An arsonist torched much of the grassland last month (even burnt part of the reed bed), so it dosn't look too good for returning warblers.

1 Blackcap
2 Treecreeper (including 1 along Hawthorn Lane)
6 Reed Bunting
2 Lapwing
1 Goosander
2 Little Grebe (including 1 at Streford Ees dry wier)
2 Tufted (Stretford Ees dry wier)
1 Goosander
Sand Martins
Swallows
Chiffchaffs
c15 occupied nests at the Heronry

At least 12 occupied nests in the heronry
1 Goldcrest

I'm told there is lots of activity in the heronry

A raptor circling over Ivy Green at 12.50, viewed distantly with the naked eye from the Bowling Green pub, was probably a Buzzard.

Very quiet apart from the meadows pond and surrounding area;
4 reed Warbler ( 1 with 2 junveniles being seen off by a Female Reed Bunting)
2 Sedge Warbler
6 Reed Bunting
1 Blackcap
3 Whitethroat

Dave Mcintyre

10/5
1 Gropper - reeling at 9.30am 50yds south of meadow ponds
2 Sedge Warblers
3 Reed Warblers
1 Buzzard being mobbed by crows - far darker than the pale CWP/Kenworthy bird

1 Sedge Warbler singing in willowherb
3 Reed Warblers singing at the meadow pond (since 27/4)

2 Reed Warbler singing from the meadow pond
2 Swift

Gropper reported yesterday

alas no cuckoo tonight watched and listened for over 90 mins but no luck! Even the every friendly grey wagtails were missing, but that probably has more to do with a tractor cutting the grass along the river and making too much noise. Plenty of tits,mallard and other usual friends so shouldn't be too downhearted...

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Tuesday 21st of April 2009 07:30:42 PM

we walked down from stretford via crossford st. (where the big bass pub is the one that looks like a drum) follow it all the way down under the canal then along the path past the cemetary on your left till we came to the mersey then short walk along the mersey until the little bridge that spanns the small stream and it is the small stream path we followed always staying on stretford/ chorlton side of river, along this path no more than 100yds we first heard it and we cut in left over a small bank into a enclosed wooded area ( you can see football pitches on left of the wooded area) where it took time to track it to a few trees . good luck finding it and if your still there at 6ish (lol) we will be back looking and listening

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Tuesday 21st of April 2009 08:45:15 AM

Hi Brandon. What was your starting point on the Mersey (Road ect)

Sam Ridgway Urmston

i am posting this on stretford and chorlton ees as we heard it more on the chorlton side but also on the stretford side to begin with. A CUCKOO we trailed it for a good two hours (we can't believe it as we are planning a trip to Rindle Road to see or hear the one there!) now to be specific about where we SAW it, we walked down the mersey (on the stretford side) until you come to the bridge over the little stream from there we took the left hand fork down the small path and heard it first there! (brandon heard it i laughed at him then ate my laugh as i heard it) it called for 4 or 5 times then deadly silence ( and doubts from both of us ) i asked a courting couple who were in the football field just off from the path and they said they had heard it for at least half an hour) we stood motionless waiting for about 10 mins and then again we heard it and over the next hour or so traced it to a small area to the right of the football pitches. we walked through this area examining every tree listening and finally we both saw it Brandon first then me although i only saw it as Brandon was trying to photo it unsuccessfully( maybe not we have 1 photo that shows something similar to a cuckoo but not conclusive) I watched it fly across the path behind us over the green bench which is on a path parallel to our original path (there are many paths here tbh) the section of woodland we saw it in has an old burnt out car in it that must have been there years! we heard a gropper nearby and saw grey wagtails as well as the usual stuff for this area. But tbh we were like a pair of demented idiots asking people if they heard it (which they had ) one chap walks his dog there every night and never has he heard one there before. i recorded it on my phone although it is very quiet in the background of a lot of other bird as it was very gloomy and almost dark by the time i thought of it!

-- Edited by brandon mulhern on Monday 20th of April 2009 09:00:10 PM

Grasshoppper Warbler (Phil Kelly)

1 Buzzard flew low over the very active heronry causing some commotion. I watched a heron swallow an egg whole at a nest last week which now contains a very large juvenile.
pair Blackcap
4 Chiffchaff
4+ Pheasant
Gt/sp Woodpecker
Jay

Chiffchaff singing this afternoon.

Tony Darby counted 11 nests occupied Sun 1 March

14.30-15.30
At least 9 occupied nests at the Heronry
1 Buzzard with missing primaries in the right wing flew across Ivy Green, over the herony and across the river towards Broad Ees Dole, Sale WP
Pheasant heard
1 Siskin
2 Reed Bunting
2 Bullfinch
1 Goosander &
1 Little Grebe on the river

no sign of the male Stonechat at the meadow field reported on 25th Feb

-- Edited by Pete Hines at 21:43, 2009-03-07

Two herons sitting on nests at the Heronry this afternoon.
Thanks very much for the info Pete.

dusk:

signs of activity at the Heronry
large Magpie roost here and Ivy Green
10 Goosander over dropping down towards Broad Ees dole
2 Little Grebe on the river

1 reed warlber - meadow pond
pair of tufted duck - meadow pond
1 reed bunting
3 whitethroat
2 blackcaps (singing)
8 heron nests on the go

dave mcintyre

no chats or wheatears

Sadly did not get the whinchat today but got a wheatear and some cracking photos of it as well, as grubby knees and elbows!

-- Edited by Adrian Dancy at 21:10, 2008-04-29

3 WHINCHAT, 2 males and a female, at the large area of recently burnt grass in the meadow field this evening

-- Edited by Pete Hines at 23:20, 2008-04-28

1 Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the meadow field this evening
1 Reed Warbler at the meadow pond
60+ Carrion Crow together appeared to be gathering to roost
2 + Swift
Sand Martins
several Swallows
1 Goosander flew over
heronry active still


-- Edited by Pete Hines at 23:52, 2008-04-27

as viewed across the river from Sale WP bank at 5pm

Kestrel 2 together
Jay 8 in same tree
Grey Heron 4, plus lots of noise from treetops
GS Woodpecker 1
Reed Bunting 2
few Sand Martins and Swallows

Best year yet since I started doing the census:

9 nests occupied with two adults constructing a 10th. 9 very large young on 4 of them - 3,3,2 and 1. Lots of noise.

2 Blackcap in song
2 Treecreeper together
Chiffchaffs
very noisy heronry with several well grown birds

1 male Stonechat in the meadow field
6-8 occupied nests in the heronry - some chicks visible

could only see 3 herons nests occupied , though a more few herons in the area (my son gets bored when not moving in the back pack )
3 grt spotted woodpecker 1 female - 2 males chasing each other
2 bullfinch male & female
female kestral eating a mouse
pair of goosander and a grey wagtail on the mersey


Dave Mcintyre

At least five occupied nests at the Heronry
1 Goosander flew downriver

1 Buzzard over towards Sale WP about 14.00
2 Kestrel
14 Siskin over

A Hobby flew from the direction of Chorlton Ees over the Hardy Farm U.M.I.S.T. sports field, disappeared behind a large tree briefly, reappearing flying back towards Chorlton Ees at 17.35. No hirundines were present so it must be settling for the hawker dragonflies.

-- Edited by Pete Hines at 19:17, 2007-09-19

evening 10th July

at least 15 Reed Bunting in the meadow filed, mostly immatures (7+), c4 adult males (2 in song)
3 Sedge Warbler, 1 in song , meadow field
3 Reed Warbler, 2 in song, meadow pond - bird still at Chorlton WP today.

-- Edited by Pete Hines at 00:33, 2007-07-11

Evening 25th

1 Sedge Warbler singing, heard from the river bank

sunday late afternoon

2 herons nests with calling young
1 garden warbler with grub in beak
2 reed warblers singing
1 sedge warbler
1 pair reed bunting male very active .2 juv reed bunting one trying out it's flyng skills
lots of whitethroats
chiffchaff's

Dave mcintyre

thurs afternoon

blackcaps
chiff chafs
1 willow wabler singing
3 whitehroat
1 g.s woodpecker
1 male reed bunting (near ivygreen)
1 tree creper (heronry)
1 view of reed warlber , then the heavens opened so no visit to dole ees
1 drowned rat with mud on his bins


Dave Mcintyre

A very, very, brief visit to the the meadow pond and field this evening

2 singing Reed Warblers -one wearing a metal BTO ring on its right leg.
Surprisingly, no sound of any Groppers or Sedges.

-- Edited by Pete Hines at 00:19, 2007-05-29