A male kestrel flew over on Friday, seen often though in the field between me & the ship canal. Stock dove feeding on the lawn with pigeons, woodpigeons & collared doves was nice to see. Other birds around... Lots of juvenile starlings 30+ at one point recently. Lots of house sparrows 4 collared doves 2 greenfinch 4 adult goldfinch is the most I have seen so far, but 4 juveniles were seen yesterday. 3 juvenile magpies fledged from the nest in next doors garden & are already very confident & taking over. Chiffchaff & whitethroat have recently been heard only over near the ship canal.
Still not many Goldfinch seen on and around my Stretford backyard feeders lately with the largest single count being 18 but a couple of visits from 2 Greenfinch,Dunnock 1 and now regular visits from a male Blackbird collecting worms from my raised backyard garden bed and also 2 Blue-tit collecting food and taking it to a nest under the gutter of a house two doors down ( acess through a hole between two broken bricks).
pete berry said
Fri May 31 2:54 PM, 2024
2 adult Mediterranean Gulls North over the Astley Green back garden just now.
Colin Broadhurst said
Fri May 31 12:31 PM, 2024
It has been a great week for new raptors. Red Kite on sunday and today Hobby flying from Cutacre across to the Hulton estate. Too quick to get my camera this time
steven burke said
Mon May 27 5:12 PM, 2024
31 swifts whizzed low over my flixton garden in 10 mins going in a westerly direction this morning, amongst them I got a new garden tick with 2 house martins.
phillipskelly said
Mon May 27 4:09 PM, 2024
Not many birds lately on my Stretford backyard feeders but there has been occasional visits from Great tit , Blue- tit and the usual Goldfinches - best count being 18 but usually around 6 . Today the first (for me) young Goldfinch arrived on the telephone wires above the feeders but it was gone before I could see it feeding/ being fed.
Nick Hilton said
Sun May 26 4:17 PM, 2024
The same scruffy Red Kite just passed over my Davyhulme garden, going south.
Colin Broadhurst said
Sun May 26 2:29 PM, 2024
Red Kite over Atherton garden heading south towards Leigh and Pennington Flash.@ 14.15
-- Edited by Colin Broadhurst on Sunday 26th of May 2024 02:40:00 PM
Bury . Ten days ago , songthrush making nest in the bushes . Now Mr. Songthrush singing his heart out . Hurrah ! Goldfinch often hovers above the dandelion clocks to take seeds , despite sunflower hearts readily available . One swallow seen , one swift ; their nesting places gradually disappearing . Wren feeding chicks . Four newly-fledged starlings being fed fat balls . One greenfinch returned four days ago .
steven burke said
Sat May 18 9:42 PM, 2024
Whimbrel heard again over my flixton garden last night at 11.50pm.
Steven Nelson said
Sat May 18 8:26 PM, 2024
First young Starling of the year in my garden this afternoon.
Grey Heron over my old trafford garden just now, also 2 singing Blackcap in recent days
phillipskelly said
Thu May 16 12:33 PM, 2024
Hardly any birds visiting my Stretford backyard feeders in the last few weeks except for a few Goldfinch,a pair of Blue-Tit and sometimes a Great Tit. This morning around 6am there were 5 Goldfinch and a single Blue -tit. One of the Goldfinch was sat crouched on the phone wires above the feeders and when flew onto the feeders I could see it couldn't stand and both it's feet were enlarged,pale and swollen . I wonder if this is Fringilla Papillomavirus which affects finches legs and feet. The bird was still able to feed although not very agile on the perch.
-- Edited by phillipskelly on Thursday 16th of May 2024 12:34:20 PM
-- Edited by phillipskelly on Thursday 16th of May 2024 12:38:04 PM
pete berry said
Wed May 15 11:21 AM, 2024
A Peregrine over back garden just now,drifted off west.
Also a Common Tern over the garden heading ne in direction of Blackleach Country Park where they breed,probably fishing on the canal,few Swifts over as well.
-- Edited by pete berry on Wednesday 15th of May 2024 11:26:48 AM
Ian McKerchar said
Wed May 15 9:45 AM, 2024
Male Bullfinch in my Astley garden this morning.
Steven Nelson said
Tue May 14 8:05 PM, 2024
A Common Tern flew south over my Irlam garden this evening 7.30pm
Chris Roberts said
Tue May 14 6:42 PM, 2024
New garden bird pair of Oystercatcher just flew over Ashton-on -Mersey garden towards Mersey.
Colin Broadhurst said
Tue May 14 9:06 AM, 2024
New bird for our Over Hulton garden . Flyover by a Kingfisher this am bringing garden total to 68
Mike Howard said
Sat May 11 4:33 PM, 2024
Red Kite over Davyhulme 12.15
Ian McKerchar said
Sat May 11 9:46 AM, 2024
Red Kite circled over our Astley garden and the Colliers Wood area of Astley for a good five minutes at 09:40 before drifting off west.
John Rayner said
Thu May 9 4:08 PM, 2024
Hazel Grove garden tick today. My attention was drawn to a noisy cronking Raven which ended up mobbing a distant circling raptor. Rushed in for binocs and found it was mobbing a Red Kite.
Cheers John
fredford said
Thu May 9 7:11 AM, 2024
Bury . Chiffchaff and blackcap singing , seen . Two , male mallard have taken residence and march around the area . Just now can see song thrush gathering nest material. Joy !
Steven Nelson said
Wed May 8 9:16 PM, 2024
2 Swifts screeching over my Irlam garden this evening
Steven Nelson said
Wed May 8 8:34 PM, 2024
Came home today to find the sad sight of the roof of one of my nest boxes in my garden partially ripped off that had Great Tits nesting in it for the first time. 3 small eggs still inside. Presumably done by a squirrel.
Another 2 new birds over my flixton garden today, 2 swifts whizzing around but soon disappeared & a great black-backed gull. Also over throughout the day... 12 sand Martins 1 Swallow 1 sparrowhawk 1 buzzard And a distant blackcap heard singing over towards the ship canal, surprised its the first one I've heard though.
steven burke said
Sun May 5 9:32 PM, 2024
A flyover raven & a grey heron were new to my flixton garden today. A tawny owl was heard only yesterday evening just after 10pm.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu May 2 11:09 AM, 2024
Whitethroat singing from my Astley garden this morning.
steven burke said
Wed May 1 10:48 PM, 2024
A lovely lesser redpoll spent a lot of time in my flixton garden this morning, wasn't too bothered by me doing some gardening even when I was about 3ft away from my feeders at one point. Occasionally it flew to the top of the trees in next doors garden & did some singing & back down again to feed.
Whilst sat in my flixton garden this evening after work, what sounded very much like a water rail going over at 10.48pm, very noisy as well, At 11.02pm oystercatcher over then at 11.29pm whimbrel over.
pete berry said
Tue Apr 30 6:20 PM, 2024
A Swift over the back garden this evening briefly,feeding quite high up,first one I've seen this year.
steven burke said
Wed Apr 24 11:25 PM, 2024
Bar-tailed godwit heard over my flixton garden just after 11pm this evening.
steven burke said
Tue Apr 23 10:37 PM, 2024
3 more new birds to add to my flixton garden list. Ring-necked parakeets over at the weekend. Oystercatcher over on Sunday. 3 swallows over this evening.
Barry Corless said
Sun Apr 21 2:17 PM, 2024
Puzzler in my Norden garden this afternoon...
A chaffinch but
1. It had two distinct wing bars not the T-shape we usually see 2. Very rusty brown - significantly more so than any I've ever seen before 3. Merlin mistook its call for Tree Sparrow!!
I'm assuming it might be a subspecies but the call freaked me out...
Any ideas?
Ian McKerchar said
Sat Apr 20 7:33 PM, 2024
This afternoon in my Astley Garden, a Raven over east, both Willow Warbler and Blackcap singing from trees at the back of the garden and Blackbirds still feeding young.
Steven Nelson said
Sat Apr 20 1:27 PM, 2024
Chiffchaff in my Irlam garden this morning - only my 3rd record
fredford said
Mon Apr 15 5:41 PM, 2024
Bury . Two magpies have , systematically , pulled up approximately three square yards of grass and moss from the lawn . They were really heaving on it . A first , here . Were they after something specific , if so , what ? Any ideas , please !
Andy Isherwood said
Fri Apr 12 2:09 PM, 2024
Small numbers of Siskin and Linnet over my Tyldesley garden today but best of all were 2 Greylag Geese heading east just before 9am, my first garden record!
pete berry said
Fri Apr 12 1:11 PM, 2024
A cracking sum plum male Siskin in the garden this morning feeding on dandelion heads,rather than the sunflower hearts I put out for the birds!!
pete berry said
Thu Apr 11 4:15 PM, 2024
2 Swallows briefly feeding over trees at bottom of garden this afternoon. Also a male and female Sparrowhawk thermalling above garden, 2 Buzzards over and a Kestrel hunting over the rough field at back of house. Chiffchaff still singing a couple of gardens away,and Nuthatch singing also.
steven burke said
Wed Apr 10 10:45 PM, 2024
6 sand Martins over were new to my flixton garden list this evening.
Samglennie said
Mon Apr 8 8:25 AM, 2024
Singing Chiffchaff in my urban Old Trafford garden just now. There has been a singing bird at nearby Firswood tram stop in previous years, wonder if this one will hold a territory
pete berry said
Sat Apr 6 6:08 PM, 2024
Swallow just flown over the garden, first one locally for me this spring.
pete berry said
Sat Apr 6 2:47 PM, 2024
A singing Blackcap in the apple tree in next doors garden this afternoon, also a male Reed Bunting in full sum plum in the garden feeding on the lawn. 4 Mallards over the garden and a few Black Headed and Lesser Black Backed gulls as well.
Isabel Hay said
Fri Apr 5 11:44 AM, 2024
Unexpectedly, a pair of Siskins today, checking out my, alas, empty feeders (north Manchester)
pete berry said
Thu Apr 4 10:01 PM, 2024
Tawny Owl calling from Ash tree at bottom of garden at 9.55pm tonight
Samglennie said
Thu Apr 4 2:09 PM, 2024
Buzzard seen distantly from my urban Old Trafford garden just now, seemingly heading south along the metrolink line past firswood. Also singing blackcap in recent days
A male kestrel flew over on Friday, seen often though in the field between me & the ship canal.
Stock dove feeding on the lawn with pigeons, woodpigeons & collared doves was nice to see.
Other birds around...
Lots of juvenile starlings 30+ at one point recently.
Lots of house sparrows
4 collared doves
2 greenfinch
4 adult goldfinch is the most I have seen so far, but 4 juveniles were seen yesterday.
3 juvenile magpies fledged from the nest in next doors garden & are already very confident & taking over.
Chiffchaff & whitethroat have recently been heard only over near the ship canal.
Young birds in our Wigan yard thus far in 2024: Starlings (c12); Goldfinch (4); Blue Tit; Wood Pigeon; Dunnock; Blackbird.
Jay in the back garden today feeding on the fatballs,first time I've seen them feeding on fatballs
-- Edited by pete berry on Monday 3rd of June 2024 04:17:52 PM
2 adult Mediterranean Gulls North over the Astley Green back garden just now.
It has been a great week for new raptors. Red Kite on sunday and today Hobby flying from Cutacre across to the Hulton estate. Too quick to get my camera this time
Today the first (for me) young Goldfinch arrived on the telephone wires above the feeders but it was gone before I could see it feeding/ being fed.
Red Kite over Atherton garden heading south towards Leigh and Pennington Flash.@ 14.15
-- Edited by Colin Broadhurst on Sunday 26th of May 2024 02:40:00 PM
Goldfinch often hovers above the dandelion clocks to take seeds , despite sunflower hearts readily available .
One swallow seen , one swift ; their nesting places gradually disappearing .
Wren feeding chicks . Four newly-fledged starlings being fed fat balls . One greenfinch returned four days ago .
This morning around 6am there were 5 Goldfinch and a single Blue -tit.
One of the Goldfinch was sat crouched on the phone wires above the feeders and when flew onto the feeders I could see it couldn't stand and both it's feet were enlarged,pale and swollen .
I wonder if this is Fringilla Papillomavirus which affects finches legs and feet.
The bird was still able to feed although not very agile on the perch.
-- Edited by phillipskelly on Thursday 16th of May 2024 12:34:20 PM
-- Edited by phillipskelly on Thursday 16th of May 2024 12:38:04 PM
-- Edited by pete berry on Wednesday 15th of May 2024 11:26:48 AM
Male Bullfinch in my Astley garden this morning.
New bird for our Over Hulton garden . Flyover by a Kingfisher this am bringing garden total to 68
Red Kite circled over our Astley garden and the Colliers Wood area of Astley for a good five minutes at 09:40 before drifting off west.
Cheers John
Just now can see song thrush gathering nest material. Joy !
Also over throughout the day...
12 sand Martins
1 Swallow
1 sparrowhawk
1 buzzard
And a distant blackcap heard singing over towards the ship canal, surprised its the first one I've heard though.
A tawny owl was heard only yesterday evening just after 10pm.
Whitethroat singing from my Astley garden this morning.
Ring-necked parakeets over at the weekend.
Oystercatcher over on Sunday.
3 swallows over this evening.
A chaffinch but
1. It had two distinct wing bars not the T-shape we usually see
2. Very rusty brown - significantly more so than any I've ever seen before
3. Merlin mistook its call for Tree Sparrow!!
I'm assuming it might be a subspecies but the call freaked me out...
Any ideas?
This afternoon in my Astley Garden, a Raven over east, both Willow Warbler and Blackcap singing from trees at the back of the garden and Blackbirds still feeding young.
A first , here . Were they after something specific , if so , what ? Any ideas , please !
Also a male and female Sparrowhawk thermalling above garden, 2 Buzzards over and a Kestrel hunting over the rough field at back of house.
Chiffchaff still singing a couple of gardens away,and Nuthatch
singing also.
4 Mallards over the garden and a few Black Headed and Lesser Black Backed gulls as well.
I've had this Rook visiting my garden feeders, regularly the past few days. Such a prehistoric looking bird when viewed at close range!
(Walshaw, North Bury)