Quite a bit of activity again this morning, added to what we saw yesterday (good to meet you, Melanie), makes me think that young must have hatched. Let's hope that there's not too much rain over the next few days.

Steve

And what's wrong with BX Mr. Rigby? Why type 13 letters when 2 will do?

l popped along around 1-ish and only had fleeting glances of some activity.Then at 6 l went back and saw Mike,we watched the male l think,going back and forth to the nest.
When this bird did stay still,albeit for a few moments,l was very pleased and the views were lovely.
At 7 just before l left,and the bird was still around and l was joined by Steve Suttill (nice to have met you) and we saw a young Peregrine or maybe the male flying overhead a few times ....now where's that snazzy new book of mine?

Male BX-sorry, BLACK REDSTART (tut,tut, Mr Chorley)at the nest, foraging and calling at 1755.

Also Grey Wagtail

info thanks to Mike Chorley

Both adults were at the nest this morning at 08.50. Female seemed to be returning to incubate. Male flew off in search of food. It's looking promising!

Steve

-- Edited by Steve Suttill at 14:40, 2008-07-02

Bird flew into the nest at 8.50am. I left at 9am and the bird hadn't come out. Grey Wagtail also seen.

-- Edited by Nik Grounds at 11:08, 2008-06-25

Did another hour. A few times bird seen on roof. The bird popped into nest at 5.45pm. I left at 6.00pm. The bird had not come out

Watching peregrines and black reds...I now have a permanent crick in my neck :)

-- Edited by Adrian Dancy at 19:30, 2008-06-24

Waited an hour....at 5.30pm bird flew in with nothing and a few secs later flew out.

I spent an hour there yesterday morning before the female flew out of the nest and down Federation Street and into Hanover Street. Despite hanging around for a good while after I didn't see her come back.

That behaviour suggests to me she may be laying, and coming back to keep the eggs at a minimum temperature as it's so chilly today, then going off to feed so she can make the next egg. She won't incubate till all are laid (4-6)

At the third attempt I got my first views of the female today just after 3.30pm and 4.20pm.
Having spent a couple of hours at Binn Green with good views of crossbill but same results as Brian Fielding, I thought I would try again for the Black Redstart.
I took my eye off the nest site and a bird flew down Federation St at "shield height" past the Grey Wagtail nest and left round the corner into Hanover St. I thought it was the Black Redstart but not sure where the bird appeared from.
Just after 10 minutes the female landed on the ledge above the nest hole and quickly moved into the hole, although she wasn't carrying anything. I thought I would hang around to see if it was repeated as she didn't reappear.
I couldn't see any movement in the hole but 35-40 minutes later she flew straight out of the nest hole without landing and flew the same way out. Again just after 10 minutes she reappeared, again on the ledge above (still not carrying anything) and then back into the nest hole.
You can't really say it's a pattern but it gives you something to look out for as she may be in the hole when anyone gets there! Perhaps something may be happening as she's spending time in there.
Steve

-- Edited by Steve Collins at 18:12, 2008-06-22

richard,of course it works ,welcome to the forum and keep on posting, the info on this site is usually 'bob on' but don,t dilly dally or you,ll miss em(re gannet, redstart,glaucos gull,hoops sorry mr woosey i got that ont flashes)

never trust the weather forcast just do itafter all its only water

cheers geoff

My first post so I hope it works - thanks to Sid Ashton for suggesting I join - met him on Saturday on Black Moss lane.

Anyway, visited the site this morning before work and got brief but good views of the female coming to the nest at about 07:15. Grey wags very active and visible and nice to see at least three Peregrines over the city centre.

steve,i got stuck watching the peregrines and then ran out of time so didn,t look, the black redstarts will have to wait till next sat/sun after the spotted flycatcher hunt.

cheers geoff

Monday morning 16/6:

no activity noted this morning. Geoff Hargreaves was going to check them out on Sunday - I presume from lack of posting that he had no luck.

Steve

Black redstart seen this afternoon by Peter Carmon who came from Preston. Thanks Peter if you are reading. It was singing the from the open steel work roof of Victoria Station and feeding on the carpark. I did from 4.00pm to 7.35pm and clocked the bird briefly behind CostCutta's on Shude Hill at 7.30pm. I made several visits to the nest site and did not see any activity.

-- Edited by Adrian Dancy at 20:29, 2008-06-13

bx ? What a shame for such a cracking bird and although i summised that it was bto lingo for black redstart it surely deserves its full title, especially after all the enjoyment they're currently bringing

BX is the official BTO two-letter abbreviation for Black Redstart.

BR got bagsied by the bearded tit, serves the BX for being even more illusive!

Hello everybody.......... I`m not very bright Can someone please explain to me why Black Redstart is shortened to BX ?

Visited yesterday Bx heard at about 6.15pm

Short visit at 2.00pm today nothing.

Visted site at around 5.00pm until to 6.45 pm...nothing seen ,nothing heard not even grey wag. After 45 mins I crossed over Miller street to the NCP car park which I think may be a very good feeding area for bx...no joy, however I did manage to get 2 whitethroat along with a few goldfinch and dunnock. I went back to site and Simon Johnson appeared so showed him where the whitehroat was...but only one seen and heard on second occasion. We went back and saw two goldfinch feeding very close to nest site.

Not bad to have whiteythroat within about 60 yards of the CIS...What is it with black reds that leads us to warblers :)

AD

11/6 - Black Red heard calling at around 6.20pm but couldnt locate it

12/6 no sign between 6.10-6.40pm

Si

No sign today between 11.30 and 12.30. My second try with no luck.
The grey wagtails were showing plenty of times from the nest buiding to across the road and back.
Steve

-- Edited by Steve Collins at 17:55, 2008-06-12

No joy with the Black Redstarts yesterday evening between 5.30pm and 6pm. I got two brief glimpses of Grey Wag though.

Oh dear! Walked into that one didn't I? Cruising for Black Redstarts - a whole new euphamism!

was a cracking afternoon on sunday and great to meet everybody who popped along.

did another couple of sessions this afternoon, rewarded with one brief view of one bird in the first session.

also met the building manger who, once we explained what was going on, was very excited and enthusiastic about the birds being there.

i gave him judith's name for a point of contact and website details, but didn't have my phone with me for her or ian's number - have passed his details onto judith.


lot of workers were also asking what was up there and very interested in it.
it seems one of the wagtails is forever trying to chase himself off in their mirror-finished windows opposite the nest.


met a guy who reads but doesn't post - hope you caught a glimpse. was nice to meet you, now sign up and join in!

Just spent my lunch hour trawling the Northern Quarter, Chinatown and the Gay Village in the hope of a second pair but still no luck. Given the dificulty of seeing the ones we know are present persistence and luck will be needed. If there is a second pair we may not find them till first-second week of July when there are (hopefully) fledged young - as has been so in previous years. I think those of us who were at the Co-op building on Sunday were particualry lucky we got such a good showing. It might be the best bet for those who've been down and seen no action on weekday lunchbreaks. I must have spent hours at this time of day walking round there over the last week or so without success except one call heard.

I'll be down there around 5.30pm tonight hoping for a sighting.

must have justed missed you sean

Spent 45 minutes there after work yesterday (5:30 till 6:15pm), but saw nothing after staring up at the shield and butress!? Saw the Grey Wags a few times feeding and flitting about and a few feral pigeons, but nothing else on the windy street.

They do exist!!!

Pair visited the nest briefly at 9am before hiding in the adjacent drainpipes and finally over the roof. Brief (only showed for about a minute) but great views.

No sightings this lunch-time ,spent half n hour looking and waiting.......nowt!!

Male showing well on ledges around the nest at 1945hrs.

Grey wagtail perched on top of dome at the same time.

no sign of BRs between 6 and 6.30

Not sure they exist!

Both birds showing on and off between 11.00 - 11.30 today and continuing to raid the Grey Wagtails for nest material.

No sign of the BRs this morning (8am ish) but the wagtails were out and about.

ian - I know of another website which is maintained etc by an enthusiast but the users donate in order to keep the website going. Maybe something similar for this one?

7.00pm (ish) black red heard though not seen. Grey wag visiting its nest.. I did a 3 hour search for black reds in other likely spots but came up with zilch.

Tim Wilcox wrote:

---

Congestion charges? Bring it on. Buy yourself a bike

---

Cheers Tim As someone who lives 15 miles from my place of work in the city centre, has a very expensive bike but has seen far too many co-workers knocked off the crazy streets in previous years so certainly wouldn't chance it myself, 'bring it on' doesn't suit everybody! As an essentail worker in the emergency services I'm still expected to pay the fee (and work within the inner ring road), work crazy shifts, don't neccessarily finish at set times and have been told it could be 2 years before I can get a transfer closer to home! Atleast £20 a week extra out of my wages would mean something would have to go and this website and forum ain't too cheap...

Hope something's worked out for Manchester Birding's sake!

P.s. any further comments with regards the congestion charge might be best on it's own thread in the discussions forum

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar at 19:34, 2008-06-09

All quiet at about 1.10 - 1.40 too. How long does it take to construct a nest? They were going it some stealing the Grey Wags' nest on Sunday. No Grey Wag activity today either.

Congestion charges? Bring it on. Buy yourself a bike

On Sunday the longest gap between visits was just over an hour, around early afternoon - we decided they had decided to feed for a while.

Usually it seems to be 15 - 20 mins between visits.

One good thing, birders are unlikely to disturb them as they've chosen a corner already used by office workers as smoking retreats - so they should be used to the crowds.

-- Edited by Rob Smallwood at 13:47, 2008-06-09

Nothing doing at 12:30

Maybe it's a Jeremy Beadle type hoax - oooh look at that up there and start pointing. Then when the crowd gathers you quietly slip away.

Suggest you all go and get your fill of these birds before congestion charges come in and you'll have to pay for the privelege.

Still visiting the nest just before 11:00 this morning.

Visited the location this morning on the way to the job. Only the pale male on view and fleetingly at that but nevertheless a Black Red. Think I'll leave the next visit to the weekend when there won't be too many people around obviously wondering what that strange person is looking at with bins pointing skyward!!

These black reds really know how to make us wear our boots out! After thinking I heard them a few days ago on an Arndale ledge I am finally relieved to know that they are about to breed again. Nice to see the usual faces and especially nice to have met Paul Cliff, Melanie Beckford and Tony Darby.

My search near the canal and China Town is not ended!



-- Edited by Adrian Dancy at 21:22, 2008-06-08

Typically nice Gtr Mcr birding social affair today, nice to meet so many of you.

Nest building rather than feeding young, one is a typical female type bird, but not very strongly marked, the other very pale, perhaps a 1st year male?

Rob

Just got home after visiting the site, fantastic views and surely a "must visit" site for all M/C birders. Bonus views of Peregrine diving at a passing Pigeon flock as well
Cheers Ian

Adrian, Paul Cliff, Rob Smallwood, Tony Darby and myself watched them nest building by nicking their nesting material off a pair of Grey Wags attempting to nest further along the Co-op building at the same height!

Just been to see the Black Redstarts (L) on Federation Street,thanks to Paul (C) for the phone call
Great sightings of this bird flying constantly in and around its nest bringing in what seemed to be 'fluffy' nesting material,completely oblivious to shoppers and the metrolink frequently passing by.Wonderful to see its famous red tail,fanned as it comes into land,l'm very, VERY happy to have finally seen it
Also nice to have met Adrian Dancy and Rob Smallwood there.