A ring-necked parakeet this morning, at the top end of Sunfield, was only the second record for Hilltop/Sunfield estate. A grey wagtail was on the roof of Romiley health centre. Back on the estate, songsters included coal tit and song thrush (at c40% of full volume).

A nice little assemblage of thrushes on Romiley common, with 11 blackbirds viewable at the same time, 4 song thrushes in the same group, and a redwing. The song thrushes were all of the continental type, darker and spottier than our own (like the one coming to my garden at present), so it's a fair bet that these were all migrant birds. Also saw a jay, for the first time in a while, and 4 greenfinches.

Brambling heard somewhere on the edge of Sunfield Estate/Hilltop this morning. Couldn't see it though.

2 ravens just to the East of Sunfield flying south at dusk this evening. I presume they are heading towards Lyme Park, where my brother saw a large gathering a couple of weeks back (I think he said 30-40).

Staring into the afternoon bleakness from Hilltop did not bring much. A dozen or so locally bred swallows were almost constantly in view, and joined occasionally by 3 swifts. On my walk home, a fem/juv blackcap was raiding bramble berries from a hedgerow. Not usually a big deal, but it was the first blackcap I'd seen for weeks. I don't think they had a good breeding season, at least locally.

Watching from indoors for more warbler activity in the garden this p.m. when a prob juv. male sparrowhawk appeared from around a wall to my right, and plonked itself down on the ground. It looked about for around 20 seconds, but all the birds had shut up and dived into deep cover. It then left in the direction it had arrived.

Tawny owl kee-ricking right outside my bedroom window now!

Some familiar screaming had me scanning the skies over Sunfield Est at c9.oo a.m., and sure enough there were about 20 swifts, at height, meandering sounthwards: a poignant moment. More evidence of Summer's departure was the sight of 3 chiffchaffs in my garden doing the rounds with the tit flock.

First breeding bird survey of the year down and up the Romiley side of Werneth low this morning - 31 species, kicking off with the swallows back at Low top farm already, which was nice. Perhaps most notable were seeing three linnets at the top and three separate ravens (one with what looked like a bloody bill), each count exceeding what I've seen in the last 5 years of this transect combined. Other quirks one shouldn't read much into included running into lots of goldcrests but no long-tailed tits and mandarin ducks in woodland, but no great spotted woodpecker.

(all good for getting over your osprey, Andy - great record, even if you had it on your garden list already! I was at my desk at the time, the view doesn't go quite as far West as the sky over Hilltop, but I might perhaps have caught a glimpse if I'd looked to the left at the right moment...)

After semi-distant views of an osprey at Audenshaw (to the West of the Reservoir, about half way to Manchester Centre, going North), I arrived home on Sunfield Estate, got out of my car, looked up, and there was another osprey!!! Much nearer/lower that the one seen earlier (this was c11.40 a.m.), it had attracted a squadron of 6 buzzards which were trying to move it on Northwards as it circled over Hilltop. That's the sort of luck you dream about (well, some of us do). 

Piercing calls had me looking skywards as I walked on Sunfield Estate this afternoon, where there was an encounter between 2 peregrines. The 'loser' of the two made off strongly South-East, whilst the defender turned back towards Stockport having secured its territory.  

A 'mega' patch first this afternoon. A Little Egret flew NE over Woodley as I watched from Hilltop, Romiley. This was certainly one of the reasons I stand staring out towards Manchester so often. Also 2 buzzards, sparrowhawk, kestrel, a drumming great spotted woodpecker, and 15+ redwings around the hill.

A late stroll round Hilltop had only one notable moment, a song thrush in song (first time this year). Unusual, I thought, in that it has started singing before I've heard any mistle thrushes. Wonder if it has any meaning with reference to the weather?

It was the turn of pink-footed geese to be on the move this morning. First sighting was just before 10 a.m. with 115 coming over Trafford/Salford from the west. Moments later I picked up a skein coming from the other direction (behind me), but further North, about 90 this time, whilst at the same time another bunch of 12 or so were moving South in between the other two skeins! When these had all cleared, another flock came in on the same flightpath as the first (a further 60) about 10 minutes afterwards. A nice piece of action in a short time. No redwings appeared to be genuinely on the move today, but 30+ were in the hedgerow bordering Sunfield estate. 

Hi Andy,

What has happened to those fields at Hilltop?

A quick whizz around Hilltop (to the north of Sunfield estate) this morning, and it was evident that redwings were on the move. There were about a dozen small flocks mostly coming off the 'flatlands' of Greater Manchester, moving E-NE, the greatest being about 45. Probably c170-180 in total seen. Also one swallow definitely going South.

Tawny owl calling just now to left of my bedroom window. First heard this close for a while.

A couple of small signs of Autumn today. Firstly, a jay was in my alder tree for the first time in many weeks. Later, a flock of 15 mistle thrushes was around Hilltop, but otherwise there was not much sign that migration was in full swing (or any kind of swing, actually). 

Late news. A male blackcap was in my garden on 30th August with the roving tit flock. A first ever Summer months occurrence.

Curlew heard over garden five minutes ago.

Sat in the sun this morning in my garden, 20 swifts came in low overhead screaming down the ear-'ole of a trespassing sparrowhawk. Glad to hear this quintessential sound of Summer before it slips away. About an hour later, a raven was over Sunfield estate, again quite low, it called a few times, then made off West. During dinner time, as I looked out of the window, a sparrowhawk flew just over rooftop height carrying prey. Not a swift, I'm glad to report!

A male sparrowhawk flew into the (Romiley) garden and perched in the alder tree just 15 meters from the house this evening. Cannot remember a 'non-Winter' visit ever having taken place before.

Autumn has 'officially' arrived with the sighting of the first chiffchaff (looking like a juvenile) in my Romiley garden this morning. First seen, incongruously, flitting about the scaffolding on a neighbouring house which is having the roof done, it then flew into my alder to feed. Also around recently, jay, greenfinch and new broods of blackbird and house sparrow.

While I'm glad to have a window to work at currently, I'd been a bit disappointed at the birds I'd been seeing in the neighbours' gardens it looks out onto. The alternative of attempting to work in our garden has less of a view, but the weather tempted me out for longer yesterday, which yielded a redpoll flying over and calling, heading NW (a long sought-after garden tick) and today a very fine male sparrowhawk came and landed in the hedge ~3m of my head. Let's hope the weather persists!

Dashed out after the rain to see what it might have brought in (nowt), but had to be content with 4 sand martins flying over becoming No.42 for Hilltop during April. As they came from the direction of Audenshaw, I guess they had been there feeding up all day and were making their way to a breeding site to the SE.

paul shaw wrote:

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Whilst watching 2 Buzzards I have just seen a Swift over Hilltop, viewed from the Bredbury side just now.

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 Sounds like one of the three I saw at that time from the Romiley side of Hilltop which became my 41st species there on lockdown. I was nearly convinced enough to name some martins as 'house', but decided to wait for better views in the coming days (I hope).

5 siskin flew over the garden this morning, near double my tally for the whole Winter!

After an excruciating week, I managed to bag a swallow flying over the stables below Hilltop, it becoming No. 40 for my 'lockdown' patch. 

Whilst returning from local shop this a.m., found 4 linnets feeding on weeds round the usually bustling Romiley Medical practices. This was nearly as exciting as finding tins of corned beef on the shelves today!!

After drawing a blank yesterday, a pair of grey wagtails on a horse manure dump brought up No. 39 for my patch. Did see these birds a number of times during March, but they disappeared as soon as I began to count things in April. Still a depressing lack of any overhead migration movement.

With just over 5 minutes to spare, I managed to maintain my unbeaten home record with a late grey heron flyover. On a more sombre note, it is scarcely believable that I have to report that there does not appear to be any chaffinches singing around this area. It is (and always was) ideal habitat, and once you would hardly give them a second glance. Now, nothing. This is indeed a tragic situation of our making.

Blackcap today, and my first willow warbler yesterday brought my April local patch (Hilltop, Romiley) list to 37. Not many local residents still to get, so need the migrant tap to turn on soon so I can keep up my record of something new on each walk I've taken (barring Sunday when I couldn't make it).

Whilst insect spotting around the golf course area saw 6 redwings, 2/3 stock doves including courting behaviour, 2-3 chiffchaffs, buzzards, kestrel, great spotted woodpecker heard.

Tawny owl heard just now hooting outside and to the left of my bedroom window (within 40 meters).

Steve Costa wrote:

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Andy Bissitt wrote:

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Romiley golf course area; p.m. Woodcock flushed from same spot as one two Winters ago. Also pair of bullfinches + 1 singing male, and a female kestrel. On way off site, ran into a guy carrying a very high-spec air rifle who said he had permission from the golf course to bag squirrels and magpies there. Never seen him before, and was a bit alarmed that he might be on the other side of the wooded area to me blasting away without either of us knowing about the other! Anyway, as the woodcock had flown towards the way he arrived from, I flushed it again to make sure it was O.K.

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Andy - the legality of this man's so-called 'authorisation' seems questionable - especially if it's an area where the public are allowed to walk. Even if someone at the golf course has given their 'permission', it may still be illegal, and certainly highly irresponsible/dangerous with regard to people and wildlife. I'm not, for a moment, suggesting that you challenge his assertion face-to-face! Air rifles are serious weapons. I have been accidentally shot in the shoulder- very painful and requiring a hospital visit. Others have fared worse e.g. lost eyes.

-- Edited by Steve Costa on Sunday 19th of January 2020 11:00:21 PM

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Appreciate your concern Steve. I visit the site very regularly, and have never seen him before. He seemed like a 'genuine' hunter, complete with springer spaniel, but he should therefore know the rules about using air weapons within 'x' number of metres of a public footpath (which are all around the area). I certainly heard one shot which must have been within spitting distance of a track where lots of families take walks around the golf course perimeter. If I see him again, I will raise it with the golf course.

Cheers,

Andy Bissitt wrote:

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Romiley golf course area; p.m. Woodcock flushed from same spot as one two Winters ago. Also pair of bullfinches + 1 singing male, and a female kestrel. On way off site, ran into a guy carrying a very high-spec air rifle who said he had permission from the golf course to bag squirrels and magpies there. Never seen him before, and was a bit alarmed that he might be on the other side of the wooded area to me blasting away without either of us knowing about the other! Anyway, as the woodcock had flown towards the way he arrived from, I flushed it again to make sure it was O.K.

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Romiley golf course area; p.m. Woodcock flushed from same spot as one two Winters ago. Also pair of bullfinches + 1 singing male, and a female kestrel. On way off site, ran into a guy carrying a very high-spec air rifle who said he had permission from the golf course to bag squirrels and magpies there. Never seen him before, and was a bit alarmed that he might be on the other side of the wooded area to me blasting away without either of us knowing about the other! Anyway, as the woodcock had flown towards the way he arrived from, I flushed it again to make sure it was O.K.

Four ravens seen from my front door at 2.30 p.m. as they passed through the estate just above rooftop height going West. Nearby at Hilltop, a flock of more than 100 redwings was on the horse paddocks, my highest ever count here I think, and even if not it certainly reversed the downward trend that the last 15 years or so has brought.

A raven flew low over Underhill (just below Sunfield) mid morning, going west. First I've seen in the immediate vacinity for some time, and a candidate for best bird seen from a bedroom window today?

mid p.m. around Hilltop (c155m).

First 'grounded' redwings down (5) with 12 mistle thrushes on recently tilled field. A buzzard joined them briefly which surprisingly caused no alarms! A chiffchaff was nearby, and a swallow beat a path southwards late on.