Roeacre brook
Female sparrowhawk hunting over stream bog
Buzzard being mobbed By a crow and rook

Monday 10th April 2017 6:30pm

1 Swallow over the lake at Queens Park this evening.

Late post for yesterday, 27th March 2016.

3 Sand Martins over Orchard Street, (my first of the year) heading towards Queens Park.

Roe acre brook 28/3/17 7:00-10:00

Kingfisher 2
Oystercatcher 7 very noisy excited birds circling overhead - smaller bird poss fem?

Lesser Redpoll 2

Meadow pipit 3 over and 2 in fields towards golf course

Roeacre brook Chadwick lane area 27/3 15:15-16:20

Chiffchaff at least 2 singing
Kingfisher heard
Moorhen
Jay
Bullfinch 4 males chasing a female

1/3/17 12:00

Kingfisher on Chadwick brook behind travois Perkins off green lane brightened up a dull day

[bAberrant Carrion Crow

Yesterday afternoon, while parked on Taylor Street, I saw and heard a crow calling from the roof of St Joseph's church. Despite the appalling light conditions, rain, height of roof and lack of bins I could see it wasn't typically black. I drove home to collect my bins, but by the time I returned it had gone. I decided to return the next day (today).

After a short wait this morning, the crow appeared on the roof again, with two other carrion crows, but stayed for less than 20 seconds. I had nursed faint hopes of a hoodie but it wasn't to be! But it was a ghostly looking bird being entirely grey - in fact it looked more like a grey currawong than a carrion crow! I've seen many carrion crows partially plumaged with white, grey or brown, but I can't recall seeing one that was completely grey.

I tried again in the area but couldn't relocate the bird. Perhaps tomorrow.

Sunday 23rd October 3pm
Rochdale Way, just off Rochdale Road East.
8 Redwings
3 Fieldfare

A female Redstart seen in the front garden of a house on Marland Fold just behind Springfield Park this afternoon.
I also noticed a nesting family of House Martins on Promenade Street. Great to see.

Sunday 3rd July 2.30pm

Lesser Whitethroat singing and showing briefly along Chadwick Lane.

Late post for Wednesday 8th June 7pm

Lesser Whitethroat still singing along Chadwick Lane. Didn't show itself though.

Sunday 5th June 6:30-7:15

Chadwick Lane, between Rochdale Road and Mayfield Sports centre and back.

1 Lesser Whitethroat singing and showed briefly twice. Been a while since I've managed to track one down.
2 Common Whitethroat
6 Willow Warblers

Lots of the usuals along this path too.

Seems to have been a fall of willow warblers this weekend 2 singing in brook lands area fri 29/4 and 1 singing from morrisons car park 1/5 13:10

Phoenix brewery

Song thrush singing when i got to work at 7.40 this morning and still at it when i left at 5.00

I've seen curlews recently much lower than usual flying over bury new road below darn hill and over gardeners arms birch
this evening

Pair of Kestrels seen mating earlier today on a mill in the Queens Park area. Seem to be taking up residence.

Birtle 7th March
Nuthatches calling from small groups of mature trees just past the Pack Horse, at Moor Bank and at Castle Hill.
Quarry
Chiffchaff x 1
White Ash
Tufted Duck x 3 pairs
Mute swan x 2 pairs
Chiffchaff x 1
Canada Geese x 6

A pair of Kestrel noisily flying around and inspecting a mill in the Queens Park area.

3 Little Grebe on Queens Park lake plus all the usuals and 3 man made islands have suddenly appeared

30 Fieldfare flew NW over Green Lane, Heywood around 10am.

Info thanks to Dave Ousey

The time fits perfectly Mike, thanks for confirming.

C. Jepson-Brown

9 whoopers seen over Elton that day at 12:50

Whilst driving near Junction 19 of the motorway, nine or so swans, that looked very whooper-like flew east over the car this aft'.

C. Jepson-Brown

Birtle - White Ash
Great Crested Grebe x 1
Tufted Duck x 1
Canada Geese x 40
Mute Swan pair
Chiffchaff x 1 - sang briefly.

Chadwick Lane> Harefield Hall Fields
Redstart male + three others on one of the fences around the grazing meadow. Family party on the move perhaps.

Birtle. Gristlehurst Lane > Higher Tack Lee > White Ash
Whitethroat x5 singing along the route.
Willow Warbler c 6 throughout.
Blackcap x 1 above White Ash
Chiffchaff x 1 at Tack Lee and nr Delph House Farm
Swift x 4 over
Lapwing x pair and Black Headed Gull x 1 nr Heywoods Farm
Canada Goose + 4 juv at White Ash
Bullfinch pair at the quarry, plus Jay, Kestrel and Song Thrush
Linnets x 2 at the quarry, c6 off Gristlehurst Lane
Grey Wagtail x 1 on stream adjacent Elbut Lane
House Sparrows evident at buildings throughout.

Roch Valley Way to Queen's Park 0930 - 1200

Wren x 4
Blackbird x 5
Mallard x 6 including 3 chicks
Dipper x 1 newly fledged
Carrion Crow x 2
Blackcap x 1
Blue Tit x 8
Great Tit x 2
Song Thrush x 1
Grey Heron x 12+
Mute Swan x 2 + 6 chicks
Chiffchaff x 1
Moorhen x 2
Jackdaw x 2
Wood Pigeon x 6
Grey Wagtail x 4
Robin x 4
Kingfisher x 1
Black Headed Gull x 5
Jay x 3
Goosander x 2 1m+1f
Mistle Thrush x 1
Nuthatch x 1
Dunnock x 1
Canada Goose x 2
Buzzard x 2 mobbed by 2 magpie
Willow Warbler x 1
Coot x 2 + 1 chick
Swift x 2
Collared Dove x 2

-- Edited by Steve Thomson on Monday 5th of May 2014 01:59:46 PM

Roch Valley Way 230 pm - 530 pm

Long Tailed Tit x 2
Magpie x 8
Great Tit x 4
Jay x 6
Grey Wagtail x 4
Blue Tit x 10+
Mallard x 2
Mistle Thrush x 1
Wood Pigeon x 4
Song Thrush x 2
Goosander x 3 (f)
Dipper x 1
Kingfisher x 2
Carrion Crow x 2
Grey Heron x 1
Kestrel x 1
Blackbird x 3
Blackcap x 1
Canada goose x 2
Moorhen x 1
Coot x 2
Chiffchaff x 1
Mute Swan x 1
Black Headed Gull x 1
Goldfinch x 3
Jackdaw x 2

Walk from St Josephs school to Pilsworth fisheries and back 10 am - 1 pm

Greenfinch x 2
Goldfinch x 4
Blue Tit x 5
Great Tit x 3
Long Tailed Tit x 2
Blackbird x 10
Mistle Thrush x 1
Jay x 4
Carrion Crow + Jackdaw flock of around 200
Magpie x 7
Rook x 50+
Dunnock x 1
Blackcap x 1
Wren x 3
House Sparrow x 4
Swallow x 6
Robin x 4
Starling x 7
Lapwing x 13
chaffinch x 2
Skylark x 2
Pied Wagtail x 2
Linnet flock of around 30 birds
Collared Dove x3
Chiffchaff x 1

2 swallows on Queens Park lake

Roch Valley this morning

Blackcap x 2
Goosander x 3 (1f + 2m)
Blue Tit x 20+
Great Tit x 10+
Nuthatch x 6
Jackdaw x 2
Mallard x 5 (4m + 1f)
Robin x 1
Dunnock x 1
Blackbird x 4
Magpie x 4
Long Tailed Tit x 3
Grey Wagtail x 1
Jay x 1
Wood Pigeon x 2
Swallow x 1

I was at Heywood ELR Station yesterday afternoon, Sat 1st March 2014, about 2.30 pm. I saw what I think were two pairs of buzzards circling overhead in the clear sky. No wind, either. Unmistakable call quite a few times.

Birtle
Swallows x 50 counted but many more over the meadows
House Martin x 30
Meadow Pipits x 30 overhead going south.
Kestrel x 1
Chiffchaff x 1
White Ash Lodge
Mute Swan x 10 - all seemed to be adults.
Coots c 6
Canada Geese c 25

Queens Park Area
Whitethroat x 1 singing Crimble side of Roch.
Chiffchaff x 3 - Hooley Bridge & Crimble. Outnumbering the single Willow Warbler.
Blackcap x 2. Hooley Bridge & Crimble.
Sparrowhawk x 1 - Crimble.

Hares hill road / pilsworth area 25/3 17:00

C. 100 lapwings in fields plus many large gulls in fields and on tip

Sat 22/3 15:30
Rochdale road by cemetery

Flock of c. 40 fieldfares

Originally posted by Colin Ramsden today:

SD81Q Heywood East 7th Feb

Chadwick Lane area - remnant frost, ground crisp underfoot.
Bullfinch x 3
Goldfinch c4
Blackbird c6
Coal Tit x 1
Long Tailed Tit c4
Great Tit c4
Mistle Thrush singing
Jackdaw x 6
Wren x 3 - near the stream
Snipe x 3 - from the streamside soft ground

Queens Park - am.

1 Little Grebe and c25 Coot. Not a great deal else.

It's great to see that the pair of Mute Swans here have raised one cygnet to an age at which it is able to fly

Cheers,

Bill.

Osprey over this morning at 09:20, heading east.

Info thanks to Dave Ousey

28th March - am - Queens Park.

12 active nests in the heronry, including 1 nest with 2 half sized young and 1 nest with three slightly smaller young visible.

Pair of Mute Swans, Woodpigeon nest with 2 small young in it, 2 Nuthatch calling, 2 Mistle Thrush singing.

Chiloe Wigeon still present.

Cheers,

Bill.

24th February - am.

Queens Park, Heywood.

Chiloe Wigeon (presumably an escape/release?) with other waterfowl. Not really sure of the sex, possibly a female? .....as it appeared to be trying to attach itself to the male of a pair of Mallards, who didn't really seem all that keen on its attentions!

Also - 8 Tufted Duck, 2 Goosander, c60 Canada Geese, 1 Greylag Goose, 4 Mute Swan, 8 Coot, 7 Moorhen, c25 Black-headed Gulls, c30 Mallard and 13 Grey Heron.

Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and Chaffinch all singing.

Cheers,

Bill.

-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Thursday 24th of February 2011 11:58:50 AM

Queens Park Lake

Tufted Duck M x 2
Canada Geese c40
Moorhen c6
Coot c6
Mallard c12
Mute Swans x 8 and one a quarter mile downstream on the Roch

Queens Park
Lively with goldfinch.

Queens Park.

Early pm.

7 Mistle Thrush,
Family party of Chaffinches - including begging, recently fledged young.
2 independent juvenile Treecreepers.
Still a few young Grey Herons hanging around the heronry.

Cheers,


Bill.

Queens Park Lake
Canada Geese c 50
Mute Swan juveniles x 2
Coot x 2
Mallard c 6

Roch Valley - Crimble
Chiffchaff singing
Dipper x 1
G Wagtail x 1
Nuthatch x 1
Wren x 4
Jay x 1
Mistle Thrush x 2
Robins - plenty

Sunday 9th November

Queens Park Lake
Goosander - Brownheads x 17, male x 1
Mallard c 20
Tufted Duck male x 1
Coot c8
Heron x 1

Thanks for clearing that one up Simon. I can see that you are right.

Colin, I popped in to the Park this afternoon and the bird in question is a Female/immature Ruddy Duck. Could have been different though.

Roch Valley Dippers singing on Roch at Hooley Bridge and Cheesden/Roch confluence. Queens Park Lake Canade Geese x 20 Grey Wagtail x 1 Coot x 5 Moorhen x 4 Mallard x 13 Tufted Duck Male x 1 Female x 4 Ring-Necked Duck - possible juvenile x 1. Sleeker than Tufted and not particularly consorting with them. Definite black cap - no distinctive face markings. Perhaps someone else can have a look. Was also on yesterday with solitary male tufted.