Common Whitethroat singing away this morning opposite entrance to Pear Mill

9 swifts currently screeching around over the woodbank avenue area of Bredbury, this is the first time I have seen them here this year.

A single Swift over this morning.

3pm today,

Common Crane, seen at altitude (roughly overhead Morrison's Bredbury) flying from North to South in the direction of Goyt valley/Offerton area. It didn't look as though it might be stopping anytime soon judging by its height.

A lifer for me.


Cheers,

Steve F.

Just had a tawny owl fly right over my head at the junction of Osborne street and dellside close, a nice surprise after missing out on the artic redpoll today.

Chiffchaff in song briefly early afternoon.

Lots of Redwings in the area over the festive period. A flock of 25+ are currently in a large Oak tree in a neighbours garden not far from Morrison's on Stockport road. No Fieldfares that I can pick out though.

A Raven over again NW at 13.08pm.

A Raven over west at 15.40pm.

Adult Hobby showed well hawking through a hatching of flying ants at c 6pm before flying east over the electricity substation.

A summer plumaged adult Mediterranean Gull circled the area adjacent to Pear Mill early evening before drifting off west.

An OSPREY circled for c10 mins at 7.15am this morning before drifting slowly NE.

Pear mill area and river 5.00 to 6.00pm 1 singing blackcap 1 chiffchaff 1 jay 1 pair of Buzzard 1 pair of mandarin on river 1 pair of grey wagtail at the wier. And some of the more common species.

A White Wagtail this evening with Pieds in the field adjacent to Pear Mill.

No sign of Black Redstart between 7.15 - 8.15 and 2.00 - 4.00. 2 swallow, Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Jay.

No sign of the Black Redstart for me, between 5-45 to 6-30 tonight but did see a pair of Wheatear.

BLACK REDSTART this evening along the road to the Electricity Substation near Pear Mill. The road itself is private but can be viewed from the Pear Mill Ind Est.

A single Swift over south early am.

On my own then on this one.
Obviously I dont mean cats, but the regular Sparrowhawk I get makes the week for me.

Ian McKerchar wrote:

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Chris Harper wrote:

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The whole reason to feed garden birds is surely to attract the odd predator, the most spectacular sight in any garden, and well worth the money I reckon.

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The whole reason ? I can't speak for others Chris but I do it mainly to provide the birds I feed with an easy meal (which at certain times of the year could be the difference between life and death) and of course provide myself with some nice easy birding. Attracting predators is not high on my own agenda

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I have to say, the local birds wouldn't have got through our wet spring without supplementary feeding this year.
On the subject of predators though, I have to ask, does this include the worst garden predator of all, the so-called domestic cat? Not at all spectacular in my opinion! Enough said, I think

Chris Harper wrote:

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The whole reason to feed garden birds is surely to attract the odd predator, the most spectacular sight in any garden, and well worth the money I reckon.

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The whole reason ? I can't speak for others Chris but I do it mainly to provide the birds I feed with an easy meal (which at certain times of the year could be the difference between life and death) and of course provide myself with some nice easy birding. Attracting predators is not high on my own agenda

The whole reason to feed garden birds is surely to attract the odd predator, the most spectacular sight in any garden, and well worth the money I reckon.

A pigeon met its demise at the hands (talons !) of a Sparrowhawk in next door's back garden at the weekend. My other half managed to get some nice video footage as it devoured its catch. It was interesting to note the loud warning calls of all the other birds in the garden. This is the first one we've witnessed here, but I've seen evidence of Sparrowhawk kills in the garden before. I sometimes wonder whether by feeding the birds, we are not just providing the local Blue Tits with an easy meal.

Cheers,

Steve.

2 Swifts over south this evening.

Hobby at around 3pm this afternoon drifted off NW.

Glad you posted this Robert.

Think I saw one flying over Hyde towards Werneth Low this morning around 7-30.

I was driving along Stockport Rd towards Gee Cross .......... unfortunately wasn't safe to pull up ...... kicked myself all day.

Roger

An OSPREY flew east at c4pm this afternoon.

A Blackcap and 2 Chiffchaffs singing this morning by Pear Mill. Other birds included Kingfisher, Dipper, Mandarin and a prob Lesser Spotted Woodpecker(heard only).

Chiffchaff singing by Pear Mill this afternoon, presumably new in as it wasn't there yesterday morning.

Walking up Bents Lane this morning with the family, my 7 year old daughter suddenly shouted "there's a bird". I looked under a tiny bit of hedge right by the main road, and was astonished to find a male Sparrowhawk, 5 feet away, tucking into its latest catch (a pigeon judging by the feathers). We stood and watched it for at least 5 minutes as it enjoyed its meal, completely unphased by our presence. Eventually it was us that decided to move on, not the bird, and we left him to his breakfast, having spent a wonderful few minutes admiring this bird at such close quarters. Although my 5 year old son thought it was "boring". I must work on him a little bit harder.

Cheers,

Steve.

TUES - 19/4/11 - late pm/early evening

Welkin Road area


Whinchat - 1 male
Wheatear - 2

2/5/09 early am HOBBY - 1 showed well at 7.15am by the river from Welkin road before belting off low east. Also 1 singing Garden Warbler 3 singing Blackcaps 3 singing Chiffchaffs Stock Dove Dipper Goosander