Originally posted by Faye Redfearn today:

On Tuesday 20th August 2013 I saw a Peregrine Falcon perched on top of the Flats (Assheton House) opposite Ashton Baths.

Yes I have had some real shop stoppers up here it is simply just a case of dealing with the mindless idiots who ruin the wood etc. Must be positive though! Tends to be brilliant up here in Winter,

Ashley

Don't let it get you down Ash ..... we all get bad runs ... it's just like fishing, you only remember the good days.

Just look at where you live .... you've got woodland, river, fields, low moor and high moor all within a 20 minute walk of home.
Some lads on this site would kill for that.

Just keep plugging away ...... something will turn up.

Good Luck.

Roger.

Roger,

You may have a deal!

Sat 17th. 22.00 hrs A warm night.. Seems to be a lot of male Tawny Owl activity along the Tame valley (Park Rd). One calling from the old Electricity Board building ., another around the junction with Sandy Lane and a distant one probably in the cemetary. Roger.

No Ashley .... the tip (recycling centre !!! ) is on Bayley St ...... Tame St runs parallel with it, from High St to Clarence St.

It is all industrial and I work on Tame St, spending most of my time outside with "a license to roam".

The outside perimetre is 2/3 river, plenty of cover.

Also most sightings are early morning .... suprising what turns up when the world slumbers.

Not the first time those feral pigeons have attracted Peregrines.

However .... if you think it's that good,.... you can have it and I'll have Carrbrook !

Roger

How do you see so much in this area Roger?! Whats your route? I know Bridge reasonably well but when I think of Tame St isn't that the one with the tip on?

Fri 16th Aug. 19.45 hrs. Tame St. Stalybridge.

Peregrine (f) killed feral pigeon and feeding on mill roof.
Very vocal as being harrased by 5 carrion crows.

Roger.

-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Saturday 17th of August 2013 07:44:21 AM

Slightly disheveled looking male mandarin outside Tesco Stalybridge at 1pm

Wednesday 14th August 2013, 7.30pm,

Stalybridge Railway Station

5 sand martins feeding overhead

22 Woodpigeon this evening (inc 3 juvs) on the playing field of Lyndhurst School (Dukinfield)

Yesterday (10/8/13) 2 juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull were begging for food from an adult on the school roof

Sunday 11th Aug. 06.15 hrs.

Tame St. Stalybridge.

I was watching a couple of Sand Martin flying about (first this week ... thought they had gone), bit of a shock when a Hobby passed over ...... travelling fast .... South.

Roger.

Wednesday 31st July 2013, 7.20pm

Stalybridge Railway Station

4 sand martin catching flies
2 swift doing same

Thursday 1st August 2013, 2pm

12 black-headed gulls picking through newly mown grass in front of The Traveller's Call, Wakefield Road, Stalybridge

River Tame Dukinfield/Ashton

Grey Heron
16 Canada Geese
1 Mallard
Family party of 10 Long-tailed Tit, with Blue Tit
Greenfinch wheezing
8+ Sand Martin around nest site
Pair of Chiffchaff feeding young

Wednesday 17th July, 7.30pm

Stalybridge Railway Station

Kestrel hunting over tracks at western end of station, before dipping down towards river and out of sight
sand martin and swift over
chiffchaff singing at eastern side of station

Kestrel seen on 3 occasions this week top of Matley Lane/Harrop Edge , Swallows mobbing on one occasion .

Female mandarin outside Tesco Stalybridge on the canal

Mon 15th July. 16.15 hrs.

Stalybridge.

Buzzard riding the thermals over Gorse Hall.

Roger.

150+ Starling this afternoon on the roof of Arcades Shopping Centre in Ashton - a mix of adult and juvenile birds

Thursday 4th July 2013, 11.00 - 11.20am

River Tame, from Tame Street Bridge, Stalybridge

6 sand martin
2 swift
10+ goldfinch
1 pair grey wagtail
1 juv cormorant on top of mill chimney upstream
1 juv blackbird

-- Edited by David Walsh on Thursday 4th of July 2013 12:57:20 PM

-- Edited by David Walsh on Thursday 4th of July 2013 12:58:49 PM

Sat 29th June. 07.00 hrs - 08.15 hrs.

Stalybridge.

Found a Sand Martin colony using the walls at the side of the R.Tame (seem to be using both sides of the river), can only be viewed from the canal aquaduct and Bailey St bridge.
A length of about 250 yds through industrial land.
Hard to count due to the situation but there are certainly a lot.
Always been plenty zooming about between Train Station and Tame St and I had an hour to kill so decided to put it to use.
Has puzzled me for years where they were breeding ..... have been under my nose all the time.

Roger.

Wed 12th June. 06.45 - 07.45 hrs

Stalybridge. R. Tame. Grove Rd downstream to power station.

Dipper flying upstream.
Pair Jay.
Chiffchaff.
Willow Warbler.


Also Cormorant back on mill chimney, Tame St @ 20.00 hrs last night.

Roger.

05.00 hrs. Stalybridge. Short length of Park Rd ... between Sandy Lane and Tame Street (back of Bayfreight depot).

Garden Warbler singing his head off from the top of Willows giving good views. I think it's been here last few days but first time able to investigate properly.

Also 20+ Swift.
Chiffchaff.

Roger.

-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Saturday 8th of June 2013 07:24:14 AM

Originally posted by Julian Barnes today: -

Saw 2 Red kites soaring 4pm this afternoon , I live off Mottram Road and they were heading towards the moor back of Mottram Rise , clear view through bino's .

Weds 29th June. 21.00 hrs.

Tame St Bridge. Stalybridge.

7 very vocal Swift.

Roger.

1 small Mallard duckling this morning on the River Tame, no others visible, neither were any adult birds.
2 Blackcap singing

Along the canal between Ashton and Stalybridge there were several Canada Geese families. I counted 12 goslings in total.
2 Blackcap singing near the bus depot.
Grey Wagtail singing along the canal

Dukinfield Crematorium

Whitethroat
Chiffchaff
Blackcap
Bullfinch
Song Thrush
4 Swift


60+ Starling feeding on the playing field near home, early afternoon. There were many juvenile birds present too. Looks like the local population are having a good season, although we hardly ever see them in the garden!

-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Monday 27th of May 2013 05:38:48 PM

Lots of Starlings in Ashton town centre today, including good numbers of juveniles

50+ Swallows over Shepley Industrial Estate this evening.

Sunday May 12th. 07.00 hrs.

Ashton-u-Lyne. Newmarket Rd (Riding School area).

Pair of Whitethroat.
Jay.
Song Thrush.
Mistle Thrush.

Roger.

Afternoon stroll by the Tame

At least 4 Sand Martin close to a regular nest site
Mallard with 2 quite large ducklings
2 Dipper
Kingfisher
3 Blackcap singing
2 Chiffchaff
plus the usuals

-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Saturday 11th of May 2013 06:10:16 PM

Afternoon walk from Dukinfield to Stamford Park

Juvenile Dipper looked as though it had just left the nest, no other Dippers seen nearby
3 Jays seen together, possibly non breeders
1 Swift near Tame Street, Stalybridge
Chiffchaff
Blackcap

Monday 29th April. 02.00 hrs.

Dukinfield.

Male Tawny Owl calling from the tallest tree at the Sandy Lane / Park Rd crossroads then flew across to a pole in the council yard on Tame St.

Roger.

Late afternoon

River Tame Dukinfield
Grey Wagtail (pair)
Chiffchaff

Portland Basin
Sparrowhawk (male)
Willow Warbler (singing)

Plantation Farm
Willow Warbler
Chiffchaff
Blackcap (pair flycatching)
Swallow (pair)
Whitethroat (skulking)
Pair of Moorhen on Peak Forest Canal
20 Woodpigeon on field



-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Saturday 27th of April 2013 06:17:12 PM

Sat April 20th. 19.30 hrs. Stalybridge. Tame St. Cormorant back on mill chimney .... I'm wondering if he'll take up residence ? Also 12+ Sand Martin buzzing about and 3 Grey Wagtail over. Roger.

Sat 20th April. 07.00 hrs.

Tame St. Stalybridge.

Cormorant preening on top of an old mill chimney ...... spent 20 minutes beautifying itself then flew off in direction of the Bailey St re-cycling site.


Roger.



-- Edited by Roger Baker 3 on Saturday 20th of April 2013 08:21:37 AM

18th April. 20.00 hrs. Tame St. Stalybridge. Cormorant flying down the river towards Dukinfield/Ashton. Roger.

A Jay flew over Crescent Road in Dukinfield this morning calling loudly, it sounded like there was a second bird nearby.

A cracking morning on my Dukinfield BBS square this morning and the general environs. Highlights included

6+ Chiffchaff singing along the valley, a good number for the general area
35 Waxwing over the crematorium
2 Nuthatch in the crematorium
30+ Redwing flew over, some of which landed in the crematorium and many singing
Dipper on the Tame
Grey Wagtail (pr)
Pied Wagtail (pr)

9 Redwing flew east over Astley Street in Dukinfield this morning.

6 at end of Heyrod Street in Carrbrook. To the left it tall trees. Apples out on sticks and fingers crossed.

Chiffchaff seen next to river tame in Carrbrook

1700-1800 River Tame, Dukinfield/Ashton

Goosander (pr)
Mallard (pr)
Moorhen (pr)
Dipper catching food underwater
Grey Wagtail (heard)
Chiffchaff feeding near the water's edge.

2-3 Greenfinch displaying

Plus other common species

Weds 27th March.

Morrisons car park. Dukinfield.

7 Waxwings when I arrived at 06.40 hrs ....... had built up to to just shy of 140 and seemed to be more coming in when I left at 07.30 hrs.
Still plenty of berries left but how long they'll last under the onslaught ???

Roger.

2 Waxwing Boyds Walk, Dukinfield at 1720.

Also 2 Rook in Dukinfield Park

Grey Heron over Jeffreys Drive, Dukinfield

-- Edited by Karen Foulkes on Tuesday 26th of March 2013 06:10:22 PM

30 Waxwings this morning at 0710 at the exit/entrance to Morrisons in Dukinfield, feeding on berries and quite skittish.

Roger Baker 3 wrote:

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Mon March 25th. 16.45 hrs.

Small flock of Waxwings (20) perched in tree on R/hand side of Morrisons main exit. Dukinfield.
Told they have been using it on and off all day.

Roger.

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20 Waxwings still present at 1730 feeding on berries in low hedge by exit. Flew off west at 1735. Greedy Woodpigeon still present!

Great stuff

Mon March 25th. 16.45 hrs.

Small flock of Waxwings (20) perched in tree on R/hand side of Morrisons main exit. Dukinfield.
Told they have been using it on and off all day.

Roger.

Waxwings returned to same location at 1545

Was out filling feeders this morning and heard a tinkling noise that I hadn't heard before, looked up and had 7 waxwings in nearby trees. This is in carrbrook, makes us for my close call in bridge the other day. Just watched the flock of 7 leave and it joined another flock I hadn't seen further away, the entire flock consisted of 22 birds in total. Seem mobile in this area but have returned once or twice

Ashley Edwards wrote:

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Aldi car park in Stalybridge. sorry should have quoted the post before

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Great stuff, thanks Ashley.