Late post for Sun 2nd Jan 2016 15.00-15.45

1 Kingfisher - Boathouse end of old river.
35 Black-headed Gulls - 14 of which were perched in riverside Alder trees! I've seen this behaviour a few times in the park at a couple of different locations around the park.
1 Cormorant
2 Moorhen
Lots of Blue and Great Tits very active

14.00-14.45

2 Siskin plus a number of others heard - these are infrequent visitors to the park and have been around form couple of weeks now.
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
8 Long-tailed Tit
1 Jay
6 Mallard
c.20 Goldfinch all singing togetbher at the top of a large tree
2 Mistle Thrush
1 Song Thrush

14.00-14.45
Quite a nice selection of birds today despite the strong wind.

Pair of Goosanders on old river Boathouse end. Some mutual head-bobbing going on - presumably displaying.
3 Siskins seen - more heard nearby
1 Nuthatch
2 Great spotted Woodpeckers chasing each other
1 Grey Heron
1 Cormorant
c.55 Lapwing over
1 Goldcrest
3 Goldfinch
5 Mallard

But still no Teal yet this winter!

14.30-15.00

1 Jay
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
Mixed flock of Great, Blue and Long-tailed Tits

Of greater note:
No sign of any Teal yet this winter. 2-3 pairs are usually present from mid/end of October onwards. Maybe the mild autumn (until today!) has been a factor.

Late post for yesterday (Sun 4th Oct)

1 Nuthatch
2 Goldcrest

Carbon Landscape Project event with Dave Steel

2 Kingfisher on the Old River Irwell
c10 Chiffchaffs along the river and in the park
2 Sparrowhawks

16.20
Kingfisher on the 'old river' Irwell

12.30pm

A noisy family party of 8 Jays around the 'Old River' Irwell fire station end. Wikipedia says they have 4-6 eggs so if this family had 6 plus the 2 adults then that's about right. Hopefully they bred in the park.
4 Moorhen - 1 adult Moorhen feeding 2 newly hatched young plus nearby a fully grown youngster from earlier in the season.

15.30-16.15

1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Nuthatch
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Teal (m)
2 Coot - pair
1 Moorhen
2 Mistle Thrush - pair

11.30-12.15

1 Redwing singing at the top of a tree
2 Teal - both m
1 Nuthatch calling
1 Mistle Thrush
Lots of common bird activity including a Magpie collecting nesting material.

Not had chance to get out with work but my late night walk in through the park with the dogs you get to see lots of birds at roost mostly pigeons but spotted the Buzzard tonight roosted here from spring last year also

13.40-14.20

2 Goosander - pair
6 Teal (3m,3f)
1 Jay
1 Bullfinch (f)

Also:
6 Black-headed Gulls perched on top branch of an Alder tree!! Never seen gulls sat in a tree before!!

10.15-11.00am

1 Water Rail - my first here for about 4 years
3 Teal (1f, 2m)
1 Nuthatch
2 Coal Tit
c.15 Redwing - being very vocal
Lots of the usual common birds singing
But 1 Canada Goose that has been frozen in the ice for at least 24 hours has moved after being coaxed with bread but appears rather weak.

14.00-14.45

2 Goosander (1m,1f) flew over heading towards the old tip area lake
10 Redpoll feeding in larch trees next to Boathouse then flew off
2 Nuthatch
1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
1 Bullfinch (m)
25 Black-headed Gulls on river plus c.30 on football pitches
1 Coot
1 Moorhen
4 Long-tailed Tits

11am-12pm
Walk round the Old River:
1 Grey Heron at the Boat House
1 Goldcrest in the Hawthorn opposite the Pub site first
Fire Station end
1Nuthatch on a garden fence far side another first

11.30-12.15 Boathouse 'old tip'

7 Redpoll feeding in a small birch tree allowed me to approach quite close but the birds were silhouetted against a grey sky and I didn't have my binoculars. But at least 1 bird was obviously a good third or so larger in size than the others and got me wondering if it could have been a Mealy Redpoll.

Also:
23 Tufted Duck
1 Gadwall (m)
5 Pied Wagtail

You must have been in the park the same time as me Phil! I did a circuit of the old river to see if the Goosanders were still there but they weren't so I carried on to the 'old tip' area to see if they had relocated there - which they had! Some similar sightings as yours but a few additions:

11.30am-12.15pm
Old tip area:
5 Goosanders (1m & 4f)
2 Tufted Duck (1m & 1f)
1 Grey Heron
1 Kestrel (f)
1 Sparrowhawk (f)
1 Kingfisher - heard only
8 Canada Geese

Old River area:
2 Jay
1 Sparrowhawk - seen twice (may have been the same one on the tip area)
1 Bullfinch
1 Grey Wagtail
1 Grey Heron
1 dead drake Mallard
Good numbers of the usual common birds feeding around the swampy area

Late post for yesterday afternoon in fading light:
5 Teal (2m & 3f)

Quick half hour round the river:
Fire Station end
1 Jay
1 Kestrel F
2 Mistle Thrush
Boat House end
1 Grey Heron
1 Grey Wagtail first seen for a while
Coot,Moorhen

Park and Fire Station end 11am-12pm
1 Treecreeper
2 Coal Tits
1 G.S.Woodpecker
4 Teal 2 pair
Great Tits,Robins,Blue Tits and Chaffinch
Old river Boat House end
6 Goosander 2 M 4 F
8 Long Tailed Tits
1 Treecreeper at the Boat House.
1 Wren

-- Edited by Phil White on Saturday 13th of December 2014 12:11:46 PM

10.30-11.15
1 Kingfisher showing at close range
4 Teal -2 pairs
1 Grey Heron
1 Cormorant
4 Redwing
1 Nuthatch

07.45am - Peregrine over Prince' Park this morning.

2 dead Drake Mallard on the old river to add to the 2 dead Swans on the tip
Buzzard is back.

16.00-16.30
'Old Boathouse Tip'

The two dead Mute Swans still in the water.

3 Gadwall (2m & 1f)
1 Teal (f)
1 Tufted Duck (f)
6 Mallard (3m & 3f) - some displaying taking place!
1 Chifchaff
3 Long-tailed Tit
2 Coot

10.30-11.15am
'Old Boathouse Tip'

A rather concerning sight of 1, possibly 2, dead Mute Swans floating in the small lake. Two large white objects in the water. 1 close enough to identify, but the other too distant so hard to be sure if it was definately a swan but it was certainly a similar size 'object' to the first bird. I didn't have my binoculars so it was difficult to tell. One dead swan could be put down to natural occurances but if the second white object is a swan as well then it seems a bit more sinister.
Should I report them?

Other sightings (fortunately all alive!)
2 Chiffchaff - 1 bird singing!
1 Sparrowhawk
7 Gadwall
10 Long- tailed Tit

9.15-9.45am

1 Teal (f) - 1st returning bird of the autumn
1 Nuthatch
2 Goldcrest

16.30-17.00

1 Chiffchaff
4 Swallow heading purposely south
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Nuthatch in a large mixed tit flock

32 Canada Geese NW low over my house at 17.10 this evening.

A noisy flock of Canada Geese flew low over my house at 6.10am this morning. Don't know how many as I was still in bed!!!

Steven Nelson wrote:

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Phil White wrote:

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C 50 Geese over north in the dark 20:45 again very noisy.

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Canada's Phil! I often see and hear them over my Irlam house in the evening and as you say, sometimes they fly in darkness. They always seem to be heading north obviously to a roost site but I don't know where (Pennington maybe?). Sometimes they are bearly above rooftop height and numbering about 50 or so in one or two flocks. Would be interesting to know where they commute to. I presume it's the flock that frequents Prince's Park.

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Hi Steven thought they were Canada's they flew back in again this morning about 05:45 like you said very low over the houses I am just off broadway so when they take off from Highbury end of the River they Wheel right to take them north right over my house very low and noisy a beautiful sight if only brief

-- Edited by Phil White on Wednesday 10th of September 2014 09:29:50 PM

Phil White wrote:

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C 50 Geese over north in the dark 20:45 again very noisy.

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Canada's Phil! I often see and hear them over my Irlam house in the evening and as you say, sometimes they fly in darkness. They always seem to be heading north obviously to a roost site but I don't know where (Pennington maybe?). Sometimes they are bearly above rooftop height and numbering about 50 or so in one or two flocks. Would be interesting to know where they commute to. I presume it's the flock that frequents Prince's Park.

C 50 Geese over north in the dark 20:45 again very noisy.

Lots of Geese coming on going late last night and early this morning over my Irlam home during darkness onto the Old River never got to see them but very noisy.

-- Edited by Phil White on Tuesday 9th of September 2014 05:31:13 PM

6.45pm-7.45pm

1 Nuthatch - first one I've seen here for quite a while.
2 Goldcrest
1 Willow Tit
c20 House Martin and a few Swallow hawking insects over the river.
3 almost full grown Mute Swan youngsters seem to have been abandoned by their parents but seem to be doing well.
1 Coot

Also I found a baby Grey Squirrel on the ground making a right racket. It was still blind so had obviously fallen from the nest. I left it where it was and went to get my daughter to show her. When we got there just a few mins later it was gone!!

Late post for Friday 15th Aug:

2 singing Chiffchaff

5.30-6.15pm

1 Willow Tit - first one I've seen here for a few years
1 GS Woodpecker
1 Blackcap - singing
Numerous young birds heard calling around the park from trees and vegatation but difficult to see.

10.30am
Pair of Gadwall - noteworthy here despite regularly occurring on nearby MS Canal
Coots - 2 birds on nests + 1 brood of 3 half grown chicks + 1 brood with 1 almost full grown chick
singing Blackcap & Chiffchaff
Plus usuals!

2 Swift over adjacent housing estate on Liverpool Rd at 6.15pm this evening.

Peregrine over at c.4.00pm heading SW towards Carrington

5.40-6.15pm
'Old Boathouse Tip' (just outside the park!)

6 Swallows
1 Sand Martin
15 Tufted Duck
1 Chiffchaff
4 Canada Geese
1 Grey Heron
1 Cormorant over
2 Moorhen
1 Coot

-- Edited by Steven Nelson on Friday 11th of April 2014 11:11:03 PM

5.15-5.45pm

3 Chiffchaff
2 Teal - pair
2 Mute Swan - pair. Female sat on nest.
Mallard with 10 ducklings

4.15-4.45pm

2 Grey Wagtails - pair at swampy bit
1 Buzzard - again in trees at swampy bit
2 Chiffchaff having a skirmish
1 Blackcap
4 Teal - 2 pairs
1 Oystercatcher over north noisily
1 Mistle Thrush

Quick circuit of the old river Irwell and park 12.15-12.45pm before a cold, wet and windy, fruitless 3 hours at Binn Green waiting for the Two-barred Crossbill !

4 Chiffchaff singing
1 Blackcap singing
4 Teal - 2 pairs
1 Great spotted Woodpecker

4.15-5.15pm

1 singing Chiffchaff
3 pairs of Teal

4.30-5.15pm

6 Redwing + 1 Mistle Thrush feeding on football pitches

10.15-11.00am

2 singing Chiffchaff
1 Kingfisher
4 Teal (2m,2f)
Pair Mute Swans - f on nest
Also Magpie nest building

1.30-2.15pm

1 Chiffchaff singing
1 Goosander (m) - tucked up asleep against the river bank
4 Teal (2m, 2f)
2 Mute Swan

17:00-17:30 60+ Redwings fliting between the football fields and the trees Lots of woodpigeon 2 teal 1m 1f

11.30am-12.15pm

1 Siskin
4 Bullfinch together in a bush (3m & 1f)
5 Teal (3m & 2f)
1 GS Woodpecker

2-2.30pm
3 Buzzard circling overhead with lots of 'mewing' going on.
1 Goldcrest
1 Treeecreeper
2 Redwing

Late post for yesterday 9.45-10.20am

1 Buzzard over being mobbed by crow and BH Gulls

Boathouse old tip:
c.50 Tufted Duck
1 Kingfisher
1 Little Grebe heard
4 Moorhen